Spearmint and Black Cherries
by Mrs. Naara
Summary: Her hands fumbled over her phone, and she looked for someone…anyone to call. All of her contacts had something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D or the Avengers. Pepper would tell Tony no doubt. Maria had constant contact with Director Fury. Clint would freak out; and Bruce Banner went off the map after the incident. There was no one she could call, no one she could rely on. She was alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so I've been working on this for a few days, but I think I have a good product on my hands. Enjoy it!**

* * *

Involuntary tears sprang to the corners of Agent Natasha Romanoff's eyes as she finished extricating her breakfast into the overheated porta-potty. She had never liked vomiting, and always had a difficult time telling when it was over. The moment she stood, her stomach would tell her otherwise, and she would spill her guts all over again. This would hopefully be the last time for that day, but she couldn't be sure. Her "friend" Pepper Potts waited outside for her to emerge, but a large part of Natasha was not willing to face up to the fellow red-head.

"Tasha? Are you okay in there?" Pepper's voice sounded from outside the door. "You've been in there an awfully long time." Natasha didn't know how to respond. She was downright frightened, and that never happened. She was a goddamn assassin. She had no time to be scared. Showing weakness was her bed of nails. Should she forget where she lay, her life would end. Just like that. "Tasha, Tony and Clint are waiting for us."

"Just give me a moment," Natasha said, her voice shaking and the aftertaste of her oatmeal almost setting off another bout. She stood slowly, willing all restraint to keep her sane until the end of the day, when she would go home and sleep off whatever caused this. She turned the latch on the door and opened the door to reveal a very worried looking redhead.

"Are you okay? You were in there for quite a while," she asked. Natasha feigned composure and stepped out of the plastic unit, brushing the wrinkles from her navy blue pencil skirt and rolling up her the sleeves on her white button down blouse. Why she chose to wear this on a day like today was beyond her.

"I will be. Probably something I ate." Pepper's worried expression turned confused.

"I haven't seen you eat much today, Tasha," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Would you like me to take you home? You look kind of pale." Natasha didn't know what to say to this. Pepper was really worried for her, and this was her chance to avoid Agent Barton…Clint…while she figured out exactly why her guts were so weak.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an Asgardian prison, a certain Frost Giant grinned under his muzzle.

* * *

Pepper Potts let the car come to a slow halt in front of Natasha's apartment building. She stared out the window at the dark brown bricks that made up her home, if she could even call it that. She had considered leaving this place on more than one occasion. She thought of leaving New York behind. Perhaps she had even considered leaving the U.S. all-together. But her mind reminded her that there were few places that she could go where her ledger would be wiped. Africa was an option, perhaps the Ivory Coast, or Liberia. Some place where her "career" had not yet taken her. She could change her name, become a native. It was an idea that had entered her mind for no more than a day at a time. She never told anyone.

Natasha turned and looked into her lap, drifting into her own thoughts, imagining herself on a beach somewhere, or in a little hut. For some reason however, her mind drifted to her confrontation between her and the god of mischief several months before.

"_Ah, No. But I like this…your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"_

"_Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that. I'm Russian. Or…I was."_

"_And what are you now?" Loki asked, a smile coming to his face. _

"_It's not really that complicated. I have red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out." The smile grew._

"_Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakoff's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital fire? Barton told me __**everything**__," he teases her. His eyes watch hers, and she watches his back. "Your ledger is dripping, it's __**gushing **__red. And you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic!" he spat, leaning up against the glass of his cage, his fist pushing into the glass so forcefully that Natasha was afraid that he would break through. The intensity in his eyes was somewhat arousing—however she remained composed._

"NATASHA!" The assassin raised her head and saw her friend's familiar gaze of worry. She gulped, and turned to face Pepper again. "You are way out of it today, are you _sure _that there isn't something wrong?"

"I'm sure," she said. "Just…ah…not feeling too well. I think I need to sleep it off, I'll be okay in the morning." Pepper nodded and turned the vehicle off. The car unlocked itself and Natasha unbuckled her safety belt and went to exit the vehicle.

"Do you want me to call you in the morning?" Pepper offered with a soft grin. Natasha swallowed again and nodded. One hand rested on the door handle, while the other rested over her now gurgling stomach.

"That would…be nice, thank you Pepper," Natasha said. She pulled the handle and opened the door. "Tell Clint not to bother me tonight, I need the evening to myself," she added quietly.

"Will do _Natalie_," Pepper replied, seeing one of the other tenants walk past the car and into the building with a small wave at Natasha. She waved back and stepped out of the car. As soon as the door closed, Pepper was off, leaving the agent in her wake. She turned towards the building, quickly, and made her way inside.

* * *

Natasha pushed open the glass door and adjusted her purse which was slung over her arm. She smiled at her land lord who stood behind the front desk.

"Welcome back, Miss Rushman," he greeted her as she entered further into the front hall. Natasha liked him more than her previous landlords, because he made it a point to learn the names of each and every tenant of his building. A rare treat that she received upon moving here, seeing as her preconceived notion of landlords was completely blown out of the water.

"Thank you, Mr. Tyler," Natasha answered approaching the desk. Out of habit, Natasha handed him her brass post box key so that he could give her the mail for that day. "I assume you got my rent payment?" she asked as Mr. Tyler turned back around, holding a couple of magazines and a small box, her keys rested on top. She didn't remember ordering anything, but it could always be one of those free samples that companies sent out to random people.

"That I did, Miss Rushman. It was right on time as per usual. You're better than most of my tenants here," he complimented. Natasha smiled a slight bit. It was nice to have some recognition from people once in a while, even though her past depicted otherwise. They didn't need to know how involved she was in the attack from two months ago. They didn't need to know that she was a master assassin. To her landlord and her neighbors, she was Natalie Rushman, rotary agent. She nodded a goodbye to Mr. Tyler and made her way to the elevator. As she waited patiently to reach the 20th floor, her curiosity got the better of her. She took her mail and put it under her arm, taking a hold of the tape on the box, and ripping it from the cardboard. She opened the flaps of the box and looked inside. What she saw was so surprising that she dropped the box onto the floor of the elevator. The contents popped out and landed right by the sliding doors. _A pregnancy test. _

Natasha unlocked her apartment door as quickly as she could. Her gaze darted back and forth down the hall, looking for people that might spy her with the test poking out of the cardboard box in her hands. Who sent it to her? What kind of prank were they trying to pull on her? Didn't they know who she was?

The door swung open and she stepped in, closing the heavy wood door behind her. Her stomach gurgled again at the smell of air freshener, and she dropped her purse and mail on the floor, running for the little trash can she kept in the conjoined kitchen. There she spilled her assets for the third time that day. Regaining her composure, she stepped back into the foyer. She covered her nose and mouth with one hand. Her other hand fell on her abdomen, and she looked at the spilled contents of the cardboard box on her floor. It couldn't be.

She couldn't even remember having sex in the past month; she hadn't even spent the night with Clint recently. She leaned down and picked up the smaller package, flipping it over so she could read the back of the box. Now that she thought about it…her period was late. She was one of many women who had irregular periods, but that didn't mean anything to her.

The pregnancy test wasn't a prank.

It was a tip-off, and a damn good one at that.

* * *

Meanwhile; in an Asgardian prison, a certain frost giant's smile grew larger.

* * *

Natasha pried open the box to the pregnancy test, letting the two little sticks fall into her open hand. She figured that two tests would be necessary, considering that the more modern editions had an extra test so that the person taking the test could be sure that the results were accurate. She stepped into the bathroom, connected to her bedroom, closing and latching her door behind her. Natasha sighed, rereading the instructions on the box. She silently pleaded that the test results would be negative. She had _no time_ to be pregnant.

Natasha waited patiently for the results. The instructions told her to wait for three minutes, and by far it was the longest three minutes of her life. The seconds ticked by slowly, one by one. 90 seconds came and went. Natasha held her head in her hands. This wasn't fair. If she was pregnant, she didn't even know who the father was!

120 seconds, and Natasha had started up the second test. She didn't want to be here longer than necessary. She set the new one on the counter next to the first, and waited for her result. One pink line meant no and two meant yes. The seconds counted down, 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1… Natasha peered at the test and her heart dropped into her stomach, her hands felt clammy and her thoughts raced through her mind at a million miles a minute. The display showed _two pink lines_. Natasha's legs failed her, and she collapsed to the floor.

Where would she go? How would she disappear off the face of the earth without alerting S.H.I.E.L.D? They had her on the radar for good, no matter where she went no matter what excuse she gave, they would find her again. There was no way out, none. It was over.

Her hands fumbled over her phone, and she looked for someone…anyone to call. All of her contacts had something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D or the Avengers. Pepper would tell Tony no doubt. Maria had constant contact with Director Fury. Clint would freak out; and Bruce Banner went off the map after the incident. There was no one she could call, no one she could rely on.

She was alone.

* * *

**A/N: Guess who the papa is yet? Hehehehehe. I'm already working on Part 2, so I hope you enjoyed! Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's part two guys! Thanks for the great response on part 1!**

* * *

Natasha had long since thrown out the tests, and had taken the garbage bags to the garbage chute down the hallway. Since she now knew the cause of her weak stomach, all of the air fresheners, smelly food, or anything that she assumed would set her off had also gone into the garbage. The only things in her refrigerator were a jar of pickles, a can of whipped cream, some sliced cheese, some turkey and salami, a half-gallon of milk, and some eggs. The small freezer contained frozen lasagna, two ice cube trays, a container of chocolate ice-cream, and some microwaveable dinners. She hoped that none of the items would set off a bout of illness, but she couldn't tell unless she smelled or ate the food.

The "gears" in her head were ever turning still, wondering what she should do about being pregnant. Her world was no place to raise a child, what with being an ex-Russian assassin and all of that.

Natasha had killed enough people in her day to know that she didn't want to go through with an abortion. She would _not _kill her own child if she had any say in it. Yet; something in the back of her mind told her to keep her options open, so she didn't strike out the idea.

She had killed people as a career, so what was one more going to do? Yet; each of those people who had died at her hand had families, they probably had lives. Misguided ones; but they were human beings. Natasha had made more mistakes than all of those of the people whose lives she ended.

_"Your ledger is dripping, it's__**gushing**__red. And you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic!"_ Loki's voice intruded in her thoughts.

Her ledger was _gushing _red, just as **he **had told her. She hadn't seen that coming. She looked down at her still flat abdomen, a sigh escaping her lips. She fell back onto her cheap leather couch and closed her eyes.

_Her ledger…all those people…all the mistakes that she's made._

Natasha's eyes shot open and she looked down at her abdomen again. A clean slate. This child was her saving grace. Her chance!

She really could move away, get off S.H.I.E.L.D's radar; she could change her name and her appearance. She could start all over again with her child. Now that she really thought about it, the idea sounded very, very appealing to her.

For the first time since her discovery, Natasha smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an Asgardian prison, a certain Frost Giant's cage door was left hanging open, a muzzle and a set of wrist cuffs lying on the floor of the cell.

* * *

-Four Months Later-

Natasha sighed as she latched the last hook on her brown trunk. She took the handle and pulled it off of her bed, stacking it on top of the identical one that had already been packed and put on the luggage cart that she would be pulling to the airport that evening.

The small stopwatch on her bed beeped instantaneously, and she went into the bathroom so that she could rinse the dye from her hair. A new life meant a new hair color. No one needed to know who she was in the past. The shower jets massaged her scalp and she watched the brown fluid run down the shower drain. After a good five minutes the water ran clear, and she shut it off. She flipped her hair back and let the remainder of the warm water run down her bare back. Using her hands she squeezed the last of the liquid from her hair and stepped out of the shower cubicle.

Natasha stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, and a completely different person stared back at her. She sported brunette hair and hazel eyes now. Her four month swollen stomach taunted her, reminding her why she did this. She was no longer Agent Natasha Romanoff of S.H.I.E.L.D. She was Nadia Amelin, a woman whose sole purpose was to travel the world, and Cape Town, South Africa was her next stop.

She was also with child and would hopefully find an obstetrician who would help her through the remainder of her pregnancy. She had already found a reasonably priced flat in the West Cape as well.

The only people she could rely on were herself and her future child. Her baby would never know who she was, and she refused to get him or her involved in her past. No good would come of that.

Her hand reached for the hair dryer that she kept on the sink, when she remembered that she had already packed it away. She would have to let her hair air dry today. She had at least left her hairbrush out so that she could put it in her carry-on bag later. As soon as her naturally curly hair had been detangled she moved to her pile of clothing that lay out on the bed. As she pulled on her skinny jeans and her bra, her phone started ringing. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID, a smile coming to her features.

"Hello, Nadia Amelin speaking," she said into the phone.

"Ms. Amelin, it's Doctor Rhodes. A patient cancelled at the last moment, so we have an opening for that uh, surgery, you requested last week," the man on the other end said. Natasha couldn't conceal her grin.

"What time would you like me in? I have a 9:30 p.m. Flight to catch," she replied.

"Right now, actually. How soon can you get here?" Natasha pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the time on the top of the display screen. It was noon.

"Give me ten minutes," Natasha said, her smile growing wider.

* * *

Natasha…or rather, _Nadia_, passed through airport security without a hitch. She was actually rather surprised that this was the case, because she thought that S.H.I.E.L.D was better than that. Her arm still stung a small amount from the surgery she had undergone not even seven hours before.

"_Are you sure you want to do this Miss Amelin?" _Dr. Rhodes had asked her.

"_As sure as I can be," _Natasha had responded. _"This chip has been a bugger for years, and it's about time that I start over."_

"_You know that by doing this, I am technically committing a crime against the U.S., right?" Natasha had given a grin at this._

"_I know."_

"_And you would like the chip after I finish?" Dr. Rhodes asked, putting on his rubber gloves._

"_I would."_

The chip was stowed now in her apartment, hidden under the carpet. She had hacked the circuitry and it would switch locations in the computers at certain times on certain days each week. She figured that she had a good year or so to get settled before they discovered her farce, and S.H.I.E.L.D would be knocking on her old door with all earnest. Being a former Russian spy had its merits, however; no plan was perfect.

* * *

She boarded the plane with her carry on strung over her shoulder and her ticket clutched in her hand. Her seat was located in row 24, seat A. Easy enough to remember. She took her seat by the window as the other passengers boarded the plane. There was no one sitting next to her right away, but she couldn't assume anything until they started moving, but she secretly hoped that she would have the aisle to herself she didn't like sitting next to strangers. Across the aisle from her in a row of three seats sat a small family. A mother held a baby in her arms, while the father sat by the window. A small boy, who looked to be about five or six, sat between the two of them with a large picture book in his lap. It was somewhat touching, until she saw what the book was about. It was a book about_ pregnancies._

Soon enough the seats had filled and one of the flight attendants had begun "the safety talk". Natasha tuned out, having heard this speech numerous times. She closed her eyes and leaned back so that she could just sleep during the flight.

* * *

Natasha awoke a couple of hours later to the soft chatter of the little boy and his mother across the row from her. Natasha blinked the sleep from her eyes to see that the boy was staring at her. Natasha stared out the window to see that it was still dark out. So she hadn't been sleeping as long as she thought.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you mam," the mother said. Natasha turned her head. "My son thinks that you might be uh…pregnant." Natasha tried not to roll her eyes, seeing as it was just a child who was inquiring. "You see, ever since his brother was born, he's been very interested in pregnancies." Natasha didn't respond. The mother gave a sigh and turned to her son. "I told you she wasn't, now apologize to the woman."

"Actually, uh…" Natasha finally spoke up. The mother and son turned to her. "I'm about four months along." The mother turned bright red and the son leaned over her lap.

"Where's the daddy?" he asked. Natasha swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, not sure how to tell the little boy that she didn't know where he was. Suddenly, a large hand had clasped her shoulder.

"That would be me," a familiar voice came from above her. Natasha moved her head and her eyes widened in shock. Standing there in a t-shirt, jeans, and a zip-up hoodie, was Loki.

* * *

**A/N: And the first cliffhanger of the story hits. Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, quick note before I start. **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR AMAZING RESPONSES ON THIS TALE. I GOT 23 REVIEWS ON THE LAST CHAPTER ALONE! **

**I know that you all have a LOT of questions about what's going on here. "How did Loki escape?" "How did he get Natasha pregnant?" "Why is the story moving so quickly?" "What's going to happen?" I promise you, ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED IN COMING CHAPTERS. The next two or three most likely. Natasha has a plan.**

**Also, if I offended anyone with the abortion thing last chapter, I do apologize greatly. I never mean to offend. If I did, PM me please, and I won't hesitate to change it promptly. **

**Thanks again for all the fantastic responses. Here's part three. Enjoy!**

* * *

**-Four Months Earlier: Asgard Prison-**

"_Loki!" his brother's booming voice sounded down the metallic hallways of Loki's prison. The frost giant raised his head, his muzzle restricting him from greeting his "brother". Thor appeared in front of his cage his face displaying anger. Loki had been seeing this expression more frequently in recent days. He wanted to say something—turn this situation around. He had several snarky comebacks in his head, ones that he would not be able to say. "What do you have to say for yourself brother?" Thor demanded. Loki cocked his head to the side as if to say, __**what do I have to say about what?**__ "I thought your attack on Midgard was bad—taking mortals as slaves, horrid—but what you've done now, I am appalled!" _

_Loki had no idea what his brother was speaking of. Yes; he had done some bad things while on Earth, but he didn't know what exactly was bringing this on. Thor's angered look didn't change. He obviously kept forgetting that Loki was incapable of speaking at that moment. He hadn't seen this level of anger from Thor since his banishment nearly three years ago. Loki raised his cuffed hands and pointed to his muzzle. Thor's face softened and he realized what he was getting at. Thor went to open the door to the cage; his hand hovered over the control panel that Loki knew was there._

"_Don't tell me that you were thinking about going in there and removing his muzzle, Thor," Odin's voice sounded suddenly. Loki watched as his adoptive father came into view, standing next to Thor. "Removing the mask unleashes his silver tongue, and we know how you fare against your brother in a battle of wits." Thor nodded._

"_My apologies, father," Thor said, lowering his head in respect to the all father. Odin's eye flicked towards Loki and then back to Thor._

"_I would like you to leave me alone with your brother for a moment," he said finally. Loki watched Thor's reaction make a home on his features._

"_But—fath…" his brother started. Odin raised his hand._

"_I can handle my own son, Thor, go help your mother prepare for the feast tonight," Odin said. Thor gave his father a protestant glare. "__**Now **__Thor," he said sternly. His brother stormed out of Loki's view, and he could tell that there would be a flipped table later on. Loki didn't want to make eye contact with the All father right then. The door to his cage vanished, and before he knew it—Odin stood in front of him. "I would appreciate it if you would look at me." Loki refused. Odin let out a sigh and with a flick of his hand—Loki's muzzle had fallen off, landing next to him on the floor. Odin's rumbling laughter filled the cell within a moment._

"_What's so funny?"_ _Loki spat—his first words in weeks. Odin continued to laugh. _

"_It seems that you have accumulated quite the beard my son!" his father said amidst his laughter. Loki reached up and felt the rough facial hair. So he had._

"_Why do you still insist on claiming that you are my father?" Loki asked in all seriousness. "We both know that you are not."_

"_Perhaps not by birth, Loki, but nevertheless, you are my son," Odin insisted. Loki grunted and turned his head away._

"_You would claim to be the father of a murderer and a liar?" Loki spat. Odin placed a hand on Loki's shoulder._

"_The fact that you own up to your transgressions makes it easier for me to tell you that the council has decided on your punishment." Loki's head whipped to the front._

"_My punishment?" Loki inquired. Odin nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. _

"_Your sentencing is in four hours. I have spoken with the council and they have allowed it that you clean up before you appear before them," he said. Loki rolled his eyes. Odin held out one of his hands. Loki reached up and grabbed his father's hand, standing up on wobbly legs seeing he hadn't stood recently. Odin tapped the lock on his cuffs and they fell to the floor with a loud clank. _

"_You are confined to your quarters until someone comes to retrieve you. I don't know if I will regret this later—but understand that regardless of what you do, you are my __**son**__." Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had nearly destroyed a city on Midgard, he had killed hundreds, and he had committed crimes in order to gain attention— negative or not. And despite all that he had done, Odin was not ashamed to call him his son. The All father turned to leave._

"_Why are you doing this for me?" Loki asked suddenly. Odin didn't turn; he just let out a sigh._

"_Because where you're going…that beard is going to do you no good."_

* * *

**-Present Day: S.H.I.E.L.D HQ: NYC-**

Nick Fury strode down the hall of the new S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. His steps were heavy, and his breath was tight. He was stressed out and his energy was nearly taxed. The council was constantly demanding that he tell them where the Avengers were. He always knew where Stark was, seeing as he was constantly on the news. Stark Expo was up and running again for the year. Manhattan's reconstruction had also begun thanks to the efforts of its citizens. S.H.I.E.L.D also had a constant eye on Natasha Romanoff as well thanks to the chip that they installed when she had first made her appearance on their radar. Clint Barton was around HQ, helping with the reconstruction. Bruce Banner had gone off the map again. Everything was turning around for the better. Agent Maria Hill came up next to Nick, a high tech tablet in her hands.

"Director Fury, I think you might want to see this," she said, holding out the device for him to see. Nick turned his head and stared at the glowing red dot on the screen. It flashed on and off.

"I'm sorry Agent Hill, my energy is low. What am I supposed to be looking at?" he asked in a groan.

"This is Agent Romanoff's tracking chip for today…it seems that she's been making some strange stops today…"

"Agent Hill, as long as Agent Romanoff is able to be contacted—I don't care what she does, now leave me in _peace_ for a day!" Nick snapped, walking faster down the hall. He needed a drink.

Maria sighed, looking down at her tablet—and exiting out of the program without another word.

* * *

**-Present Day: Flight 2347 to Cape Town-**

"_That would be me," a familiar voice came from above her. Natasha moved her head and her eyes widened in shock. Standing there in a t-shirt, jeans, and a zip-up hoodie, was Loki._

Except…it wasn't Loki. His hair was still black, but it was shorter, much shorter. His eyes were the same too. He was like, Loki's doppelganger. He slipped into the seat next to her, turning his head to the boy.

"It's our first," Not-Loki said. The boy grinned and leaned farther over his mother's lap.

"Is it a boy baby or a girl baby?" he asked. Natasha decided to go along with Not-Loki's story. He was obviously trying to help her out in this situation, and she needed to take all the help that she could get.

"We don't know yet," Natasha said. "We'd rather be surprised." The boy nodded and moved so that he was sitting in his seat again. His mother elbowed him.

"Uh…thank you!" he said, before disappearing between his parents again. Natasha turned to Not-Loki, examining him a little bit closer. His black sweatshirt was newer than his blue jeans and his Nike sneakers. His t-shirt was dark green. The closer she looked, the less he looked like the demi-god who had almost destroyed Manhattan.

"Thanks, you really saved my ass there," Natasha whispered to the man. He gave a grin that mirrored Loki's.

"It wasn't a problem," he whispered back. "You were in a jam, and I only saw the need to help." Natasha met his gaze. He stared back, his green eyes filled with some emotion that she didn't know. Rather, it wasn't just one emotion—it was several. His nimble fingers moved up and took a lock of her hair, twirling it in his grasp. With assassin like speed, she had locked her hand around his wrist. He smiled with a grin that Natasha recognized only as Loki's.

"Who are you?" she whispered. Not-Loki's grin faded and he let her brunette curl loose. She released his wrist and it fell to the arm rest between them. His hissed in some air through his teeth, almost skeptically. "I'd like to know the name of my knight in shining armor if it's all the same to you," she added a moment later. Not-Loki chuckled and nodded his head.

"Ah yes. Lorimer Kilton _the second_ at your service, princess," he said. Natasha smirked. For Not-Loki, his name was ridiculously similar. Lorimer Kilton? Who was this guy trying to fool? "I don't believe I caught your name, princess," he whispered back. Natasha turned her head to the window. Lorimer leaned over so that his lips were right by Natasha's ear. "Princess, that family across the aisle thinks that _we_ are starting a family—and I can't play the part of baby daddy without knowing the mother's name," he whispered. Natasha hadn't thought of that before.

"Nadia Amelin," Natasha whispered back, eager to figure out exactly who this guy was. "So if your name is Lorimer, can I call you Lori?" she joked. Lorimer chuckled softly.

"That's actually my most common nickname, _Nadia_," he said, using her name for the first time. "I admit that Lori_mer_ is a bit strange to the tongue." Natasha nodded in agreement. "Feel free to call me Lori."

* * *

**A/N: So, I had a bit of a hard time deciding what scenes to put in this chapter, but I finally decided. I hope you enjoyed it! Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know, I know. Updates this quickly? But of course. Only the best for my lovely readers! Sorry that I didn't get this out as soon as I would have liked. I had a bunch of people over this afternoon, and we watched Thor together. :D So I know that a lot more questions emerged last chapter, but just know this, they will hopefully be answered in this chapter. At least…I hope they will without bringing more questions. But no promises. Enjoy part 4! It's a Loki-Centric chapter. Natasha may show up briefly.**

* * *

**-Four Months Earlier: Asgard-**

"_Loki…" Thor's voice sounded from the doorway to Loki's room. The Frost Giant turned to face his adopted brother. He had shaved away the beard he had accumulated during his time in prison, and his hair was once again smoothed back. He had changed into more comfortable attire from his wardrobe. Thor wore his normal warrior attire, chainmail and all. It made Loki feel somewhat intimidated. "Father sent me to escort you to your sentencing." Loki rolled his eyes; of course Odin would send his brother to retrieve him._

"_Will you be there for the sentencing, Thor?" Loki asked. Thor let out a breath and shook his head. _

"_Father does not wish me to interfere with the council's decision. It seems that they have made up their minds," Thor replied—his voice full of sadness. "I have agreed without question. You will face Asgardian justice." Loki nodded, understanding. Thor stepped farther into the room and held out Loki's old muzzle and wrist cuffs. "Sorry Loki. It's for formality." The Frost Giant nodded and held out his wrists so that Thor could bind them. His brother was quick about it, and soon enough—Loki could no longer separate his hands. So much for freedom. Thor opened the clasp on the muzzle and let Loki bite down on the teeth clamp. He locked the clasp behind his head with another sigh. Loki bowed his head so that Thor couldn't see his face. He wouldn't let his brother see the tears that were threatening to roll down his cheeks. As far as he knew, this would be the last thing he ever did. With all the crimes he had committed, he would surely be put to death. "Now, the council is waiting for you."_

_-0o0-_

"_LOKI SON OF ODIN!" the head elder's voice boomed angrily. Loki raised his head; no fear was displayed in his eyes. He had crimes to pay for, and as much as he wanted to run—he couldn't. It didn't help that his feet were also bound to the floor. "YOU ARE BEING SENTENCED FOR NUMEROUS CRIMES AGAINST ASGARD AND SEVERAL OTHER REALMS. YOU HAVE DESTROYED TWO CITIES ON EARTH, AS WELL AS THE MAJORITY OF JOTUNHEIM! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INDIVIDUALS HARMED AND KILLED IN THESE INSTANCES AND MUST BE CASTIGATED FOR YOUR ACTIONS! YOU DESERVE TO BE PUT TO DEATH FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST THE NINE REALMS!" Loki was wordless, seeing as he still wore the muzzle. He would have been so if he wasn't wearing the muzzle too. Another member leaned over to speak to him; the head elder sat back and listened. Loki could hear her hushed reminder._

"_Head Elder, don't forget to mention the mortal woman," she said. The head council member nodded and held up a hand to the woman._

"_Yes, of course," he whispered. Loki raised his head. Mortal woman? What mortal woman were they talking about? Loki was ever confused. Weren't they going to end his life? After all, the crimes listed were surely worth it. The elder cleared his throat and his booming voice filled the room once again. "I HAVE JUST BEEN REMINDED OF ONE LAST CRIME YOU HAVE COMMITTED!" Loki met the gaze of the council, all of them staring down at him with any range of emotion from anger to pity. His father sat next to the head councilman, and he didn't look angered. He looked downright disappointed with Loki. "NOT ONLY HAVE YOU COMMITTED THE CRIMES I HAVE LISTED, BUT YOU HAVE ALSO IMPREGNATED A MORTAL WOMAN!" Loki's eyes widened. Impregnated? He didn't even remember…oh…right. He finally sat back and let the council member two to his left, a hefty Asgardian with a thin white beard speak._

"_Natasha Romanoff is currently with child because of your rash and selfish actions. For the wrongs you have done—we have decided __**not**__ to put you to death. The council has discussed potential sentences for your actions for two weeks now; the debt that you owe to the people of Midgard is too great to go unpaid. Several hundred lives, including hers have been deracinated and ruined because of you. Hence, we are exiling you to Earth until your debt is repaid," he said his voice deep and incensed. Loki didn't know what this meant, but the knowledge that he would get to keep his life was very reassuring. On top of that, the mortal woman…the one whom he had selfishly taken as his own in a time of crisis…she was with his child. _

_He hadn't seen that coming. _

_Yes; he was a fertile being, and there were a few children wandering the nine realms that he could technically claim a part in. But he had impregnated a __**mortal**__ woman. Who knew what that would entail for him and for his future? Natasha...was that her name? The Black Widow that Barton spoke of while he had been under Loki's control. She __**hated him**__. Loki feared that his debt to the Midgardians would never be paid, EVER. _

_But wait a moment. Thor had destroyed the Bifrost! He couldn't be sent to Earth! Loki smirked under his muzzle, this plan was about to backfire._

_Oh wait…that meant that they were going to kill him._

"_Odin, will you please do the honors of sending Loki to Midgard?" one of the other council members asked. Loki's eyes widened, since when could Odin send Asgardians to Earth? The All Father stood with his gold scepter in his hand, with a flick of his hand, Loki's muzzle and wrist cuffs had vanished. His Asgardian garb was replaced with apparel that Loki had seen some of the more casual mortals wear. He wore a long sleeved shirt with no design on the green fabric, a pair of rough blue fabric pants, and dirty white shoes with ties. He didn't look himself. Suddenly, he felt even weaker than he had upon arrival in Asgard. His magic had been taken when he arrived, but this weakness was different. Loki could tell that he was less than anything now._

_He was a mortal. _

_With a grunt from his adoptive father, a colorful vortex had surrounded him, and in his weakened state he grew tired. Who knew that Odin could send people between realms? Maybe that's how Thor had found him. Loki's eyes grew heavy, and he sunk to his knees. He just wanted to sleep. With a loud rush of air in his ears, he was suddenly falling through the sky. He fell with great speed towards the ground and landed with a thump in the dirt. Without any powers or strength, his body ached all over, and he could swear that he felt blood trickling down his forehead and his bones did not feel right. Before losing consciousness, he heard the unfamiliar voice of a man._

"_Betty! Call 911! He's hurt real bad!" Loki tried to open his eyes. "Hey man, it's going to be okay now. Just hang in there, okay? Don't die on us. BETTY, HURRY UP! HE'S SLIPPING FAST!" _

_Then everything went black._

* * *

**-Four Months Earlier, A Hospital Somewhere-**

"Betty, he's waking up!" was the first thing that Loki heard upon regaining consciousness. "You gave us a pretty bad scare pal; just fell out of the sky like a dead bird."

Loki grumbled, the pain from his fall settling in. He opened his eyes slightly, his vision blurry still. He could see that he was in an all-white room, and his arm was encased in something. His leg was encased in something similar, and all Loki could feel was pain. He blinked a couple of times to see two people standing over him. There was a man with a rough brown beard and hair to match. His eyebrows were wild over what looked like blue eyes. Or were they grey? Loki couldn't tell. He could see that the man wore a tan jacket over a black shirt, and pants that looked like the same material that Loki had been wearing before he was sent here. The woman, Betty, he assumed—seeing as the man continually called for her in his presence was on the thin side. She had soft blonde curls falling out of her hair-do, and Loki could make out a blur of soft freckles on her face. She wore a too large over shirt, plaid, and a white shirt under it. She also wore form fitting pants. From what Loki could see, they too were made of the blue material. He blinked a couple more times, his vision clearing enough for him to see that he was no longer dressed in the clothing he had been wearing earlier, rather it had been replaced with a light blue gown. How embarrassing.

"Where am I?" Loki groaned, the pain overtaking his body again. It even hurt to talk. Being a mortal _sucked_. He wouldn't have broken a bone if they hadn't taken away literally everything save his memories from him. How did Thor manage to get through without injury? The man chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. Loki didn't understand why this man was laughing.

"Good old South Carolina, buddy!" the man said. Loki groaned again. He had no idea what a "South Carolina" was. "Do you have a name? Or is it still too painful for you talk?" Loki did his best to glare daggers at the man, but he decided that his name was important enough for him to say.

"Loki," he grunted slowly, his chest aching. The man gave him a strange look, but he seemed to make nothing of it. Did he not know what had transpired only a month before? Loki guessed not.

"I'm not going to ask what kind of name Loki is, I'm guessing Greek, but you look like you're in quite a bit of pain there. Betty, keep an eye on him while I get the doc to bring him some Morphine," the man said. Loki's eyes flicked from the man to Betty and back to the man.

What in the name of Odin and all the 9 realms was _morphine_?

* * *

**-Present Day: Manhattan Airport-**

Loki stepped out of the airport terminal, leaning heavily on the cane that he was forced to use since they had let him out of his "cast" early. He had a dark brown leather bag hanging off of his shoulder over his tan trench coat. Ever since he had landed in South Carolina four months prior, he had worked hard to recover—spending the first month in a wheeled chair and learning about the mortal world from Betty and her husband (whose name was Roger, which he later discovered). They took him into the hotel that they ran, giving him small quarters in which he had been residing for the past four months. In return for his homage, they had him do small amounts of work around the hotel. They had him clean, answer the phones, replace towels at the swimming pool, and the like. He grew rather good at using the phone by the time one month had passed.

Along with providing a place to stay, Roger would so graciously take him to regular check-ups with the "doctor", who seemed to be one of Midgard's healers, and there he would be told his recovery status. Even though he had everything taken from him, he healed faster than most humans did. This baffled the doctor, but Loki didn't complain. The faster he recovered the sooner that he would be able to start repaying the debt he owed to the humans.

It was the entire reason was here on Earth, instead of rotting away in a casket while his family mourned for him. Loki wasn't even sure that they would mourn for him, not after everything that he had done. He considered it an overwhelming act of mercy on the part of the council that they had spared his life. However; with everything he had been going through, part of him wished that they _had _put him to death. They could have ended him quickly and easily, while here—he would spend a good deal of his life repaying a debt. How was that for a punishment?

His first stop was New York City. It was the very place that (with the help of the Chitauri army) he had nearly destroyed five months earlier. When he explained that he needed to go to New York to Roger and Betty, they had not hesitated to book him a flight to the city. They hadn't even asked many questions.

"_Is it to find that Natasha girl?" _Roger had asked him when he told them two days before. Loki remembered the scene vividly.

"_Who are you speaking of?" Loki responded, turning as fast as he was able. Roger laughed and placed his hand over Betty's, for she sat next to him on the couch in the hotel lobby. He leaned forward with his wife's hand clasped in his._

"_Did you know that you talk in your sleep, Loki?" _Roger had said to him. _"While you were napping in the back room yesterday. I heard you moaning a name. Natasha. It was all that I could make out, but you said her name several times. So who is she, an ex, a current lover? Did she throw you out of a plane?" _Loki scowled at the thought that Roger STILL joked about how he had come to Earth. He remembered struggling to explain that the two of them were enemies. So why had he been moaning her name? It still baffled him, even after several days of thought.

"_Natasha and I have a bit of a history. We don't get along __**at all**__." Loki explained. "However…I wronged her greatly. It's part of the debt that I told you about."_ He could still see Roger's grin.

"_Then the plane ticket is on us." _

So here he was, Manhattan Airport. He figured that he should find a place to get food. He was rather hungry, and the snacks on the airplane were hardly sufficient. He remembered that Roger had given him some earthly currency as a thank you for all of his help during the four months that he stayed with them. He had tried to protest the gift, saying that his quarters and the plane ticket were enough, but Roger wouldn't have it.

"_You deserve it. Can't go anywhere without a little moolah nowadays." _Loki recalled Roger telling him.

He looked around the area, searching for a place where he could purchase food. He saw a small booth across the way from where he stood. A green and white sign hung above the booth, with an angelic character on it. He figured that it was as good a place as any, and he quickly made his way over to the stand.

"Hi! Welcome to Starbucks! What can I get for you?" the young girl behind the counter asked him kindly. Loki didn't know what to say. He had never ordered anything from this place before. He saw a man at the end of the counter taking a white cup, most likely filled with some beverage.

"What kind of food do you have here?" Loki said in an unintentionally demanding tone. The woman's smile didn't fade, despite his harshness. Loki didn't know what to think.

"Well, we have muffins, scones, and other pastries; we also have sandwich wraps, Panini's, and soup. What sounds good to you sir?" Loki knew what a sandwich was. He also knew of muffins and soup, seeing as he would eat mostly these things back home and during his time with Roger and Betty.

"I'll have a blueberry muffin, and whatever drink that last customer ordered," Loki said. The girl looked confused; however she put the order in regardless.

"That'll be 8.74 sir," the girl said. Loki reached into his pocket and withdrew some of the currency that he had. There was no 8.74 currency. There was as little as a 1, and as high as a 20. He figured that a 10 was close enough, so he handed it to her. The girl took it and muttered something, opening a drawer filled with the currency. She put in the 10 and took out smaller amounts, as well as a couple of coins. "1.26 is your change; the order will be up at the end of the counter there," she said—pointing to the counter on the other end. "Thank you and please come again!" Loki stepped to where the girl pointed and waited patiently for his order. As he waited, he took to watching the crowds of people around the airport. Several of them moved quickly in different directions. Others moved slower, bent over small devices in their hands. Some moved into shops and others simply sat in chairs, waiting for the doors to open so that they could board their planes.

And then he saw it.

Or rather, he saw _her. _

She moved at an eased pace, in no rush, not stressed or fearful. Her dark red cloth bag hung off of her shoulder, swinging back and forth at her movements. Loki wasn't entirely sure that it was her at first, seeing as her hair was very different than when he had last seen her from behind the glass walls of the unit they had contained him in. Her fiery red hair had disappeared, and had been replaced with soft brown locks, tame and collected. Her personality shone through her hair color. She had changed it for a reason. Loki noticed that her stomach was slightly swollen with child as she passed, not too noticeable—but it was there. _His child._ Her eyes flicked around and he stared for a moment, seeing her bright blues staring at something. There was no mistake, it was Natasha.

But what was she doing at the airport? Why had she changed her hair color? So many questions flew through Loki's head at that moment. Natasha passed, and he could still see her a little ways away. A clearing of a throat pulled him away for a moment, and he saw that they had placed his order on the little counter. He took it quickly, not bothering to thank the employee who brought it out. He was a man on a mission now.

With all the speed that his legs and cane could take him, Loki hurried down the tile pathway, trying not to lose Natasha in the crowd. He followed her down an enclosed tunnel like hall and out into a long path with several sections of waiting people. He continued to follow her as she moved, when she turned into one of the waiting areas, Loki lost his concentration. The next few moments flew by in a blur.

In an instant, he bumped into something firm. The drink in his hand went airborne, and the small plastic cover went flying off of the cup. His hot beverage spilled all over the thing he hit. His muffin went skidding on the tile. Loki himself landed on the ground with his cane next to him. The whole ordeal was overwhelmingly embarrassing, and Loki was surprised that it didn't attract much attention. He groaned, and went to stand.

"I am _so _sorry, sir. Are you alright?" a strangely familiar voice sounded. Loki shook away the shock by shaking his head. He saw an outstretched hand in front of him and Loki took it, letting the other person pull him to his feet. Loki looked up at the man who he had bumped into, and he nearly fell over again with shock.

The man looked _exactly like him_.

Loki leaned down and picked up his cane, not worried about the muffin or the coffee anymore. He didn't take his gaze off of the doppelganger. He seemed to be just as surprised to see Loki. The former Frost Giant blinked away his shock.

"No, no. It's I who should be apologizing. My coffee has completely ruined your shirt," Loki apologized. The man looked down at the large dark stain on his green short sleeved shirt.

"Nothing a good wash won't take care of, it was entirely my fault anyway," the man said. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Neither was I," Loki said, his gaze drifting to Natasha who had gotten in line by the terminal gate. She was going to Cape Town? Wherever that was… The doppelganger had reached into his knapsack by now, and removed a sweatshirt. He slipped it on over his shirt, pulling the zipper so that the ugly stain was covered up. "Hey man, there must be something I can do to make up for you losing your drink. I would buy you another—but I have a flight to Cape Town that I need to catch," he said hurriedly. Loki took a quick moment to think. So this doppelganger was going to the same place as Natasha. She was about five people from getting her ticket checked.

"There actually is one thing you could do for me," Loki said, letting his gaze fall on Natasha again. She was now four people behind.

"Anything man, what do you need?" the doppelganger asked. Loki let out a sigh. Three people now.

"Do you see that brunette? She's the third one in line with the leather jacket and dark red satchel?" Loki asked, pointing to Natasha. The doppelganger nodded.

"I see her. Is she someone that you know?" he asked. Loki nodded, putting his hand down on his cane.

"We have a bit of a history. See; she is with child. Can you help her in any way that she needs on the flight?" Loki requested. The doppelganger turned to Loki.

"Is it yours?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Is the child yours?" the doppelganger asked. Loki swallowed the dryness in his mouth before nodding slowly. The doppelganger smiled. "She'll be in good hands, I promise," he said. Loki let loose a soft grin.

"Thank you, very much sir."

"Of course. But quick question…if it's your baby, why are you not getting on the plane with her?" the doppelganger asked. Loki hung his head.

"She wants nothing to do with me. So I'm respecting her wishes," Loki said honestly. "I also have a bit of work to do here in New York. I'll follow her one of these days." The doppelganger smiled.

"That's integrity for you man. She's lucky to have a guy like you," he said. Loki couldn't help but scoff loudly. Suddenly a loud voice came over the intercom.

"**LAST CALL FOR FLIGHT 2397 TO CAPE TOWN NOW BOARDING!" **The doppelganger nodded and turned to Loki.

"That's my call. Again, I'm sorry about your coffee," he said. Loki nodded.

"Nothing I can't replace. Oh, and don't tell her that we had this conversation?" the doppelganger nodded before taking his ticket from his pocket and sprinting to the counter where he could get it scanned. Loki watched as the man entered the terminal. Three more people followed after him before the attendant closed the door.

"_She's lucky to have a guy like you."_ Loki played the doppelganger's voice back in his head. As he turned to leave to where he came from, he scoffed again.

"Oh, if only you knew the half of my history with her…" he mumbled. "More accurately, she's lucky to have me out of her life."

**A/N: Wow! 4000 words? Geeeeezzzz. Sorry for the later update! Hopefully some of the questions you had were answered this chapter! More will be out sometime tomorrow evening. I have a bit planned. As always, don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I hope that last chapter answered a few of the questions that you guys had without completely overloading you with new ones. I have decided how the rest of the story is going to go, but I am warning you right now. This story WILL stay at a T rating. I will not (or I will try very hard not to) write graphic, upsetting, or insensitive scenes. I HAVE come up with an idea on how to explain Tasha's pregnancy. I also intend to write it to the best of my ability. I will write a warning when it comes about too, so I hope that it won't ruin the story for you. The idea IS INTENDED TO MAKE YOU MAD AT LOKI. NATASHA WILL NOT FALL FOR HIM EASILY! As well as some of the stories where she does are written, it just doesn't work for me. So enjoy part 5!**

**P.S.: Sorry this took so long for me to post!**

* * *

**-Present Day: Cape Town International Airport-**

He was following her. Natasha's eyes darted to her right, and she turned her head to see if he was still was. She was not satisfied to know that he was. Natasha moved faster, trying to lose him in the crowd. What did he want from her? Was he secretly with S.H.I.E.L.D? Had they already found her tracking chip? Hundreds of possibilities made their way in and out of her consciousness. She turned back one more time, and there he was. He was a good 100 feet behind her, so it looked like he wasn't following her directly. She thought that they had agreed to go separate ways after they landed. _So why was he still following her_? She made a fake turn, and just as she thought he would, he followed. With assassin like speed and precision, she had him pinned against a wall. Their faces were inches apart, and from this distance she got a better look at him. She was absolutely certain that it was Loki, everything was the same.

"All right, why are you following me?" she hissed in his face. She was downright pissed. Yes; he had helped her when she was in shock and lost her cool. Yes; they had talked most of the flight, and she was downright convinced that this was Loki. Her arm was pressed into his neck, and she was ready to snap it at any moment. Even at four months pregnant she still had her skills. He choked trying to speak, struggling against Natasha's grip. "And don't even bother lying to me, because I will snap your neck before you can even think to try again." She let her grip loose so that he could speak. Lori coughed and hacked.

"I'm not going to tell you! You're crazy!" he cried. Natasha pulled a small pistol from the shoulder holster under her jacket. She wasn't letting him go until she had answers. His eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. "How'd you get that through airport security?" he asked, his voice trembling. Natasha cocked her head to the side.

"Oh Lori. Lori, Lori, Lori, I don't go anywhere without my guardian. Yes, I have a license to carry it. I am very good at getting what I want. Now answer my damn question. Why are you following me? Who sent you?" Lori groaned.

"A…a guy…at the airport in Manhattan," he said. "I bumped into him and we both fell over. I offered him something because I didn't have time to replace the coffee that was spilled on me when we bumped into each other. He asked me to keep an eye on you, alright? To help you if you needed it." Natasha stepped back, letting Lori lean against the wall and regain the strength she had taxed from him.

"This guy, did he give you a name? An identity?" Natasha demanded, pressing her pistol into his chest. Lori struggled to move.

"He didn't give me a name. But he said that he's the father of your child, the _real _father," he said. Natasha pulled her pistol away and ran her free fingers through her hair. The _real _father of her child sent him? Impossible absolutely impossible. She didn't even know who the father was, how could he? Up until the flight, this man was a stranger to her.

"What did he look like?" Natasha asked her voice much quieter and calmer than before. Lori licked his lips. "You're free to go when you answer me."

"He looked like me."

Natasha blanched and dropped her pistol.

* * *

**-Present Day: Manhattan, New York- **

Loki got a "taxi" from the airport after a long search for the luggage conveyer belts. He had replaced his lost drink and muffin, as well as taken some ibuprofen for the pain in his leg from his fall earlier. His first job on the road to paying his debt to the people of Earth was to find a way to help the recovery of Manhattan. Even as he watched the downtown streets out the window of the cab, he could still see chunks taken out of buildings. He observed broken windows and ripped up pavement, misplaced street objects, and heavy pieces of debris that people had to walk around. Loki was overwhelmed with a rush of guilt once he realized that he was entirely responsible for this mess that was Downtown Manhattan. He hadn't yet decided where he was going to go, and all he was doing by joy riding around the city was racking up a fee that he would have to pay the driver. When he saw a familiar building, he told the driver to let him off at the corner. The fee was just over twenty dollars, and it was somewhat painful to give up that much money to a sleazy guy who drove a yellow car around. Nevertheless, Loki paid his fee and stepped out into the crowd making his way towards the familiar building.

Stark Tower.

Loki wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen if he went into the building, seeing as not even 6 months ago he destroyed a good deal of the penthouse, threw the owner of the building out his own window, fought with his brother, and was tossed around like a rag doll by a giant green rage monster. Was it even logical that he return here first? Loki figured that it was as good a place to start as any. This is where the majority of the problems were. Tackle the worst problem first, right?

Right?

Reaching into his bag, Loki withdrew a fedora and a pair of sunglasses in some attempt to disguise himself. He figured that Stark would be less than thrilled to see him here. He put on the hat and glasses, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trench coat and entering the building through the front door.

Upon entering, Loki examined his surroundings with a careful eye. He saw a large desk in the middle of the room, a receptionist of some kind most likely. Large tapestries hung from the walls, depicting the logo for something called "Stark Expo". People with high tech boards dressed in business suits and skirts moved around, some frantically and others not. Loki looked for Stark on the floor, secretly hoping that he wasn't around. He approached the secretary at the front desk, and he leaned on the counter with both arms.

"Is Mr. Stark in?" Loki asked in a more American accent than his normal brogue. The woman looked up at him with dull eyes. Her sand brown hair was tied up in a tight bun on top of her head.

"Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts are currently preparing for their monthly trip to California to check up on the Stark Expo. He is taking no appointments or visitors for the next two weeks, I apologize," she said—her voice just as dull and monotonous as her gaze. It made Loki uncomfortable. What was it with Midgardians and their hostility?

"Well you see miss…" Loki began, looking for something _not _rude to call her. "It's a very important matter on which I must speak to Mr. Stark about." The woman stared at him again, her gaze now downright icy.

"What part of _no appointments or visitors_ are you not getting?" she droned. Loki didn't want to get his head bitten off, so he backed off with his hands slightly raised. So much for his plan to meet with Stark. It was probably for the best anyway, as far as Loki knew—Stark would have gotten in contact with that blasted government agency and they'd have him in handcuffs before he could even explain his purpose. What had he been thinking, showing up here? Loki grunted and made his way back to the desk.

"Is there a telephone around here that I can use?" he asked. The woman raised an eyebrow at him. Had he said something wrong? With a sigh, she pulled a small device from her pocket and handed to him. Loki stared at the foreign object. He had seen people use these smaller telephones before, but never had he used one himself. He was used to the corded phone at Roger's hotel, not this thing. He pressed a button at the bottom of the handheld and the screen came to life, displaying a picture of the woman behind the desk cuddling what looked like a very angry cat. There was a small gray bar at the bottom of the screen that told him to "slide to unlock", using his thumb, he did so—and a very full menu replaced the image of the woman. Thank Odin. He used his thumb to slide between screens which were covered in colorful squares. Which one would allow him to use the telephone? This was one of the reasons that he hated Earth with all of their newfangled technology and what not. He finally found the colored square that showed a picture of a phone and with a noise of triumph, he entered the "call" menu. Loki dug his hand into his pocket and withdrew a small piece of paper that Roger had given him before he left.

"_If you need anything at all while you're in the Big Apple, just give me a call on my personal line. I'll be happy to help if I can." _Loki recalled Roger telling him. He copied the numbers into the phone exactly, and pressed the "call" button, holding the device to his ear as he would the telephone back in South Carolina. It rang several times, before he heard a click and a familiar voice on the other end,

"Roger Jenkins speaking." Loki let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he had entered the number correctly and that he was speaking to a man that he knew could help him.

"Roger, it is Loki," Loki said into the phone, not bothering to disguise his accent anymore. He heard a laugh from his former employer on the other end. Loki was confused, was there something amusing about him calling?

"Loki! Man, it's good to hear from you! How goes the debt paying? Get thrown from any planes yet?" Roger asked from the other end. Loki didn't appreciate Roger's humor.

"Are you ever going to let that go?" Loki spat into the phone in an irate manner. Roger stopped laughing and caught his breath with a cough.

"Probably not, Loki," Roger said in an honest tone. "So what do you need?" Loki was glad that Roger was finally being serious.

"I'm not having much luck finding a place to reside," Loki said. "It seems that I didn't think through how long I would be here." Roger began laughing again on the other end of the line. Loki didn't appreciate how humorous Roger thought he was. It reminded him too much of Thor, back on Asgard. Loki thought of Thor, wondering if he missed him—or if he had already forgotten and was drinking wine with Sif and the Warriors Three.

"Well hey man that is no problem. I have an old buddy of mine who also runs a branch of Holiday Inn. Do you have a paper and pen? I can give you the address of his building, and I'll give him a call. I can hopefully convince him to give you the same deal that I did."

"Work for lodgings?" Loki confirmed. He heard Roger make an affirmative noise on the other end.

"Erik is a pretty lenient guy. I'm sure he'd be glad to help me out for your sake." Loki smiled genuinely from the other end. Roger recited the address to him shortly after, which he wrote down. It looked to Loki like he was going to have to take a cab to get there though.

Fantastic…

* * *

**-Present Day: Natasha/Nadia's Flat; West Cape, South Africa-**

Natasha's new flat held barely anything so far. She didn't bring much with her from New York, seeing that it would have cost her an arm and a leg to ship it, but she did bring two trunks of her belongings, one with clothing and personal items, and the other with things to make her flat or apartment homier. It wasn't much, small things really, a vase of fake flowers here and there among other things. She hadn't yet unpacked her things yet, though, so her new flat was rather empty. She had unpacked, though, her bed sheets and pillows so that she had a place to sleep. She didn't really know where to go from here, now that she had placed a down payment on her flat—she would need to make rent payments. She did have a good amount of money in her bank account thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D, however it wouldn't last forever. She needed to find a job here, somewhere. In the past, S.H.I.E.L.D had given her all of her jobs, but now that she had severed herself from them, it was up to her to find herself a job. Natasha knew that she had a little while, but until she was a little farther along in her pregnancy she would need something to keep her busy. Perhaps her skills as an assassin would come in handy for some job.

And then there was the distressing news she had stumbled upon at the airport as she had interrogated Lorimer. She was distressed on several things, but this took the cake for her. _Loki _was the real father of her child after all. When had it happened? She never recalled having intercourse with Loki, _ever_. She would let herself die before that happened. He was cruel and heartless, and downright insane. Natasha wasn't going to lie to herself and not admit that he was somewhat attractive…for a psychopath.

Natasha shook away the thoughts of Loki, not wanting to dwell on her situation more than she already had. She reclined onto her bed pillows and put one hand behind her head, while resting the other on her slightly protruding abdomen. She could feel something akin to tears forming in her eyes, but she would not cry. She didn't during her painful morning sickness phase, and she most certainly wouldn't now.

Natasha concluded that she hated being pregnant, and that she hated Loki even more than she already did because of what he had done to her.

* * *

**-Present Day: Holiday Inn, New York, New York-**

"This is humiliating," Loki deadpanned as he pulled at the fabric of his new uniform. The yellow polo shirt was still stiff and needed a good washing before he could consider it comfortable. He had a universal key card on a carbineer attached to one of the belt loops on the black pants that he already owned. His hand rested on a large plastic and metal cart, teeming with cleaning supplies of all kinds. Anything he would ever need to clean was there. At first, Loki had been confused. Why would he need a cart like this? That's when it was explained to him. He was going to be one of the maids at the hotel. His new boss crossed his arms over his chest, and his facial expression didn't waver in the slightest at Loki's comment.

"Roger wanted me to give you a job, so I gave you one. You're lucky I owed him a solid. Thus, you are starting as a maid. Work hard enough and I'll promote you, it's simple really," he explained. Loki didn't want to pout, but he could swear that he was doing it unintentionally. He looked around the hallway, examining his surroundings.

"And to think, a year ago I was a king," he mumbled to himself. Loki sighed, nodding his head so that his new employer knew that he understood. He had no space to complain; because this was the way he'd continue to pay his debt, by being a maid at an Inn. Putting himself in such a lowly position and cleaning up after mortals and their messy ways had to count for something, right? He raised his head to the sky, rolling his eyes. He wondered if Odin and Heimdall were laughing at him on Asgard.

"Your assignment is to start on the fourth floor and go up to the eighth, every day. The head maid will explain your duties to you this afternoon during your training." Loki blanched. His room was on the 9th floor. That meant other people would be touching his belongings and cleaning his messes. Fan-fucking-tastic.  
"I understand," Loki said, trying to hide his distress that he wouldn't be cleaning his own room. It grew silent between the two of them. Loki didn't know Erik as well as he knew Roger, so it was somewhat awkward for them—he wondered if he'd ever find a place that felt like home to him. Asgard was hardly home, what with his "brother" looming over him and hiding Loki in his shadow. Jotunheim was in shambles thanks to him, he had destroyed half of Manhattan and a good deal of that small town in New Mexico, so even Midgard felt as foreign and cold as Jotunheim.

"So. You fell out of the sky?" Erik asked in a joking manner. Loki stared at him, and then nodded.

"Roger told you about that, huh?" he said back. Erik laughed for the first time since they met, which made Loki feel a little bit more comfortable.

"He mentioned something about getting pushed out of a plane. Were you sky-diving without a parachute or did you really piss someone off?"

"The latter," Loki groaned. "But trust me, a plane was not involved." Erik raised an eyebrow.

"My brain is having a hard time to understand what that means," he said.

"Don't hurt yourself trying to figure it out," Loki teased as he took his cart and made his way down the hall.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so that took way too long! I'm sorry that there was such a delay, but band has started and I was too tired to work last night. So here it is, I hope you enjoyed! Part 6 will be out sometime in the next couple of days! Please don't forget to review! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So I apologize for taking so long to update this, I've been really busy all week, but that's about to change because band is DONE for the month of June. I have all the free time I could ever ask for now, and I will update this story as much as I can in the time I have before my vacation. So here's part 6. Please remember to drop a review as well. Enjoy!**

**By the way, I made a new blog—asklotasha . tumblr . com (without the spaces.) If you like this story, please support my new blog! Thanks!**

**-Present Day: A Laundromat in West Cape South Africa-**

Natasha pulled her clothing out of the washing machine at the Laundromat down the road from her flat, staring blankly at the red maternity top before tossing into the open dryer behind her with other colored clothing. She heard the bell above the door ring and saw Samantha, Samantha, walking in with a basket of clothing of her own under one arm. A little boy had his hand clutched in Samantha's; Natasha knew that this was her son.

"Ah, Nadia!" she greeted, "It seems that we both are doing our laundry today." Natasha nodded and smiled at the little boy, who hid behind his mother. "Are you almost done?"

"I got here about an hour ago, I have about another hour to go, and then I can go home and take a nap. The sooner this pregnancy ends, the better," Natasha commented. Samantha laughed loudly and took to putting her whites in the washer next to Natasha's.

"And you think that you'll get more sleep _after _the baby is born?" she asked with a laugh. "That's a bit of a hoot." Natasha stared at her.

"I never said that," she said. "I've heard pregnancy stories. Sleep is a rare occurrence after birth, especially for a single parent…" Her voice faded, thinking of the father. Natasha took her lower lip into her mouth, chewing on it. She was thinking about Loki again. She slumped suddenly onto the wooden bench across from the washing machines. Samantha sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Natasha shook her head slowly, afraid to open up to Samantha. Yes, they were in similar positions, but that didn't mean that she had to tell her anything. The worried gaze of her neighbor was a different experience. She hadn't seen a stare like that since Pepper had given her a similar one the day she discovered her condition.

"Just thinking about the father again," she admitted honestly. Samantha nodded.

"I've often thought of Rodney's father as well, he was a good man, loved kids. To have sacrificed his life to the service like he did…and to see his eyes in my son every day, it aches in my chest every once in a while. But I calm myself knowing that he would have loved his son just as much as I do, if not more, and then I move on." Natasha nodded. "If you don't mind my asking…what happened to yours?" Natasha didn't know how to respond, no one had ever inquired about Loki before. How could she explain simply a very not simple story? Natasha heard one of her used washers go off and she stood, opening the door and beginning to remove her dark clothing items. Samantha stood as well and opened an unoccupied dryer for Natasha, and she began to load it with her clothing. The entire time she was silent, brooding on how to explain without revealing anything. As she put her coins in the slot so that she could set the time, she came up with something.

"There was…a lot of tension…concerning the two of us. We never got along." She explained finally. Samantha gasped.

"So how did…" her gaze dropped to Natasha's protruding stomach. Natasha swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and she sniffed, trying to hold back the tears that she knew were coming. She hit the "On" switch more forcefully than necessary and collapsed back onto the bench.

"I don't know," she said after another moment. "But I'm keeping it, because this is my chance to begin again, to wipe out my past—of everything—including him." Samantha nodded slowly in understanding.

"Well if you ever need anything before or after the baby is born, don't hesitate to ask me. With Rodney it was a hard pregnancy, but it helped to have a friend there. So I want to extend the same courtesy to you," she said. Natasha smiled sincerely. She didn't know what to say, never before have someone been as kind as to offer her help like this.

"I…" she started, unable to find the words. "Thank you." Samantha smiled and nudged her gently as her son came waddling up to Natasha. She reached down and picked him up, setting him on her lap. Sam laughed and smiled at her son.

"Say hello to Miss Nadia, Rod," she said. The three year old stared up at Natasha, and grinned. He had a good deal of his baby teeth already, and it made her heart melt in her chest.

"'ello," he said cheerfully. Natasha patted his head with a smile. If her future child was as adorable and sweet as Samantha's son, then maybe…just maybe…it wasn't as bad as she was making it out to be.

**-Present Day: Holiday Inn, New York City, New York-**

It was official…humans were the most disgusting creatures in all of the nine realms. Or at least, the ones he had to clean up after. What kind of solid did his employer owe Roger that he'd be forced to do this job? He was at the bottom of the pack, a servant to those he had belittled before. He had been brutally humbled in his journey so far, and he could swear that Heimdall's roaring laughter filled Asgard's banquet halls as his stories about Loki's misery got around to one and all.

How was that for a punishment?

Loki slid his card key into the slot in his door, unlocking it and stepping inside with a heavy step. He had been a maid at this inn for nearly two weeks now, and he already hated it. Not that the two weeks he had been working weren't terrible, but after today, he considered asking his boss for a raise. No one should have to deal with what he was going through. He threw his key card onto the night table and fell back onto his mattress with a groan. Today he had spent an hour cleaning room 523, where a small family was residing while on vacation. One of the children had left their action figures out by one of the beds, and Loki was unfortunate enough to have stepped on one. He hadn't broken it (thank the gods), but he didn't know where to put them, so he lined them up in a fight scene on the night table. The children had also left small girly accessories in the bathroom, which Loki also had to find a place for. In room 719, a couple of college "frat boys" were residing, and they certainly knew how to make a mess. He had been cleaning up their drunken messes for a week now, and he was happy to know that they were checking out soon. But that was the only thing he was happy for in his new life.

He ran his hand down his face, sensing the dark circles under his eyelids, he needed sleep—and he needed it now. His head turned the digital clock on the night table; it was only 3:00 in the afternoon, a normal time for him to finish his duties for the day. He didn't know what to do now, seeing as tomorrow his boss was giving him the day to himself. He considered revisiting Stark Tower, seeing as a couple of weeks had passed and he might be back by now. He blew his hair from his eyes—it had gotten quite a bit longer. He tugged on the ends, staring blankly at the greasy black mop on his head. He sighed and made a note to find a place to get his hair cut tomorrow as well. Maybe it would help in disguising himself against Stark. He also decided to make an appointment this time.

**-Present Day: Odin's Palace-**

_Thor was not one to knock before entering a room. He was a Prince of Asgard for Odin's sake, and he didn't need to knock. Unless he was entering quarters where there was a possibility of a naked person behind the door. He had learned that one the hard way. Today though, Thor Odinson was a humbled man—and he had a request that he was not sure would be granted without a price. He knocked loudly on door to his father's chambers, hoping that Odin would hear him out today. _

_It had been nearly five months since his brother was banished to Midgard to pay for his crimes against the mortals, and so far, Thor had received no updates on how Loki was faring on his own without his powers. He thought it had been bad when he had been banished, but Loki had been on Earth for a week, maybe, and WITH his powers magnified nonetheless. Now he was probably alone and lost, or locked up somewhere. Thor was very curious about his brother, and he was not going to take no for an answer. He pushed open the door, and moved inside, seeing his father with his back turned to him. _

"_Father," Thor said, addressing Odin. The All Father turned, his face questioning who would be there._

"_Ah, Thor, what is it my son?" he asked, walking towards the demi-god. Thor looked at his father, and swallowed._

"_I have a request, father," Thor said, bowing his head in respect. Odin tilted his head. He stepped forward more and put a hand on Thor's shoulder._

"_Is it about your brother?" Odin asked outright. Thor's eyes widened. He hadn't forgotten that his father had an all seeing eye, but it still caught him by surprise. He nodded. "You know that I can't bring him back until his debt is paid, so that is off the table."_

"_I wasn't going to ask you to bring him home, father. I understand that he has crimes to pay for. I just wish to know how he fares in his mission," Thor explained. "Heimdall snickers whenever I ask, and I know of no one else could tell me but you…" Odin sighed._

"_Your brother is alive and well," he answered. "He resides in the state of New York, where the battle you fought was."_

"_And his debt?" Thor inquired._

"_Is steadily being paid." Thor chuckled._

"_That's good at least," he said. "And the woman?" Odin closed his eye. _

"_She is faring as well as she is able. The child she carries though…I cannot be sure." Odin stopped speaking for a moment. "Is that what you wanted to hear, Thor?" he said a few seconds later. The demi-god nodded._

"_An update is all I requested, All Father. And an update I received. I thank you." _

**-The Next Day: Stark Tower, Manhattan New York-**

Loki stepped out of the cab in the exact same place that he did on his first day in New York. Since he was now employed here, handing over the driver fee wasn't as taxing as it had been. He thanked the driver with a bow of his head and closed the door, pulling his suit coat closer to his body. He began his short walk to Stark Tower, examining his surroundings as he did so. Loki ran his fingers through his newly short hair, still getting used to how much lighter his head felt after his haircut. His hair was curlier that he initially thought it to be, because he had not cut it this short when he was still in Asgard. He had purchased a container of something called "styling gel", after the man who cut his hair showed him how to use it. He had to admit, he liked his new look. There was something about it that made him feel like he wouldn't stand out as much anymore.

He entered the main hall of Stark Tower, and it had barely changed since his last visit. The tapestries still hung from the raised ceiling, and the people in monkey suits still ran around with their high tech boards. Loki was happy to find, though, that the woman at the front desk was not the same. Hopefully she'd be less hostile than the other. He made his way up to the desk and leaned on it as he had the first time.

"Excuse me, I have an appointment with Mr. Stark at 1:45?" he greeted. The woman looked up at him and then at her computer screen. She nodded.

"Let me call him," she said, picking up a phone and pressing two buttons. Loki waited patiently. "Miss Potts? Yes, will you come down and escort Mr. Stark's 1:45 up to him? Yes, alright. Thank you," she said. The woman hung up the phone. "Miss Potts will be down to escort you momentarily. If you'll just wait here." Loki nodded and leaned up against the counter, waiting for Miss Potts. He hoped that she wouldn't recognize him, seeing as Stark probably made it known to her what he looked like. A few minutes passed, and he saw a woman with light orange hair approach him.

"Hi, you must be Tony's 1:45," she greeted. "He's upstairs, if you'll just follow me," she greeted. Loki moved and followed her, quickly falling into step beside her. She hadn't questioned him—so he was suspicious. They got into the elevator, and Pepper hit the highest up button. The ride was silent, and Loki couldn't help but look around the enclosed space. The ride was too short to look around more, but he knew he'd get the chance later when he left. Pepper gestured for him to follow her, and Loki did so.

They entered a familiar room, and Loki recognized it as the room he had been defeated in. It had been repaired, the walls fixed, the floor retiled, and the bar fully restocked. It looked as if he had never been there at all.

"Tony, your 1:45 is here," Miss Potts said, stepping aside to reveal Loki. Stark turned around from staring out the window, staring at Loki for a moment. He wore a pair of silver bracelets around his wrists, as if he was ready to fight.

"Pepper, you might want to back away," he said. 'Pepper' stepped to the side.

"Why? Who is he?" she asked, staring at Loki. Stark looked ready to fight, and it frightened Loki a bit. If he had his powers, he wouldn't need to be worried—but in this form, he was just as mortal as the average man. And he had just gotten off his cane too.

"Good to see you again, reindeer games," Tony greeted. Loki flared his hands with a smirk.

"I knew that you'd remember me," he said. "But before you put on your suit and completely rip me to shreds, you should know that I come in peace." Tony laughed.

"That's a good one!" he said amidst his chuckling. "Why should I believe anything you say?" Loki sighed and stared at Tony.

"Because this is my punishment from the council of Asgard, thanks to that _oaf_, Odin, my life was spared and in exchange, they made me just as mortal as the everyday man," he explained. "I have come to apologize for what I did."

"You think that an _apology_ will make anything better? Let me clue you in here…you killed over 100 people, used your little army in an attempt to destroy New York, and you were thwarted by the Avengers, all of which are just a phone call away, except maybe your brother," Tony said. Loki frowned when his brother was mentioned.

"I know it won't, Mr. Stark. But you should know that I have spent the past 5 months as a lowly servant at an Inn. I clean up after the very people that I wanted to rule. I am no better than any of them, and I will never be."

"Wow, looks like you got seriously humbled," Tony stated, reaching over to press a button. "But I'm not buying it." Loki sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He used one hand to pull back his suit jacket, revealing his employee badge (with his name and image on it) and his hanging access card which was attached to his polo. He replaced his jacket, and exhaled again.

"Would I have that if I were lying to you Mr. Stark?" Loki asked. It was Tony's turn to cross his arms.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't," he said thoughtfully. "And you don't know much about the technology used to fake identification, do you?"

"I am as addled as my brother in that situation," Loki said. "I am being taught how to use technology, but if you still don't trust me, I invite you to call my employer. He can clear this up." Tony nodded, biting his lower lip.

"Pepper?" he asked. She was already holding a small device to her ear.

"I'm already on it," she said, stepping out of the room. Tony lowered his arms and stepped over to the bar.

"Would you like a drink?" he offered, "I'm going to have one."

**A/N: So, another Loki-centric chapter, but I figure that pregnancies go rather slow as is. There isn't much to tell on Natasha's end right now—so Loki's adventures as a maid are funnier and more interesting. I hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to drop a review please, I love getting mail!**

**And don't forget to ask a question at asklotasha . tumblr . com (without the spaces) Loki and Tasha are getting bored too. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: 82 reviews! YOU GUYS ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST! I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to come out, but I got a major case of writers block and I needed to take a break. After some reading and roleplaying, I got back into this and the chapter pretty much wrote itself. I promise not to make you guys wait this long ever again! As always, be sure to drop a review and tell me what you think!**

* * *

**Five Months Later: S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters New York City, New York**

"She's gone completely off the map sir, the tracker has died on us," Maria Hill reported as she swiftly trailed Director Fury down the foyer on the top floor of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. The Director barely turned his head; he just heaved an exasperated sigh. Maria fell into step beside him moments later. She was worried that he wasn't responding to her, because with Agent Romanoff off the map, they had no idea what kind of trouble she could be getting herself into. It was nerve-racking.

"I should have assumed that something like this would happen," the man with the eye patch grunted. "We always knew that she'd get away from us one of these days.."

The brunette agent frowned. "Sometimes I wish that Agent Coulson was still around—he would have tracked her down and pulled her back by her hair if he had to," she said, lowering her head in respect for Phil Coulson. Nick Fury turned his head now, staring at Agent Hill with a widened eye. Only he knew that Coulson wasn't dead, but he wasn't going to tell Hill that. Instead he closed his eye and clenched his fist. Everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. had been devastated when they heard about Coulson's "death", and they were finally getting over it 9 months later. Nick didn't want to look like a liar by telling Maria that he was hiding Coulson away in order to give him a break from all of the action.

"Agent Hill, just because Agent Coulson isn't here to drag Natasha back by her hair, as you put it, doe not mean that we won't get her back. There are plenty of ready and willing agents." he replied. "We could always send Barton after her, or one of the new recruits."

Maria stared at Nick. She was shocked that he would even suggest sending a new recruit after someone as skilled as former Agent Romanoff. She decided to ignore the comment about sending a rookie. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, because the last time we sent _Barton _after her that ended really well," she said sarcastically.

"It did. We got a great agent on our side."

"A great agent who is now off the map," Maria said seriously. Nick waved his hand at Maria as a way to show that he was indifferent about that.

"Details, details," he said, turning the corner and entering the main room that looked out on a good deal of Northern Manhattan.

"So what are we going to do, sir?" Maria asked, coming up beside Nick and putting her hands on her hips.

"We're going to wait for any kind of word on her whereabouts. Perhaps Stark knows something…give him a call in the morning okay?" Fury ordered.

"I will, sir."

* * *

**-5 Months Later: Top Floor of Stark Tower-**

Loki swirled the tan liquid around in his glass tumbler, watching the ice cubes ring as they made contact with the sides of the glass. The noise was somewhat soothing to him, and to be honest it was more soothing than waiting for the alcohol to buzz in his system. He put his free arm over the back of Tony Stark's couch and observed his generous host made a beverage for himself. The billionaire looked at him for a moment and then went back to making his drink.

"So, Reindeer Games," he began, shaking the tin container in his hands. "What brings you by today?" Loki turned his head to look out the window that overlooked the skyscrapers and office buildings that, after 9 long months, were finally looking like buildings again, and not like "Godzilla" had taken a bite out of them, as Tony put it during Loki's most recent visit. He didn't want to make eye contact with Stark right now, because his request was large—and Tony's trust in him was rather low right now. It was creeping back up, but when you throw a guy out a window…it's hard not to be a little bit wary.

Tony looked at Loki with confusion. It was true that he was still a little suspicious of him because of the events that had happened not long ago however if he needed something, and it was within reason; he would do what he could to grant the request. The billionaire could tell that Loki was trying very hard to turn over a new leaf. He had been brutally humbled by the circumstances that he put himself into, and Tony respected Loki's earnest effort to change. He poured his drink into his own tumbler and stepped around the bar area. He sat down on the loveseat across from Loki and looked at him for a moment. Great, the guy had gone and dazed out.

"Loki!" Tony said sternly, bringing the former god back into reality. His grip on the tumbler tightened as he turned, so that it wouldn't slip to the ground and break. He didn't want to jeopardize any chance that he had of getting his request granted. He looked at Tony, signaling that he was now paying full attention. "Are you okay? You looked a little spaced out," Stark asked, tilting his head to show that he was concerned. Loki nodded slowly and took a sip of his drink, the alcohol burning his throat slightly on the way down.

"I am fine, Mr. Stark. Thank you for asking," he replied, bringing his glass down to his side. His host nodded his acknowledgement to Loki's response and began looking around the room, anything to keep himself busy for the time being.

"So, my other question. What brings you to the Tower?" he asked, making eye contact with Loki again. He waited patiently for an answer, taking a large sip out of his drink as he did.

"I have a bit of a request for you, Mr. Stark…" Loki said.

"Call me Tony, please," his host said. Loki rolled his eyes but he rephrased his statement regardless.

"Very well, I have a bit of a request for you, _Tony_," he said, emphasizing his host's nickname. He took another sip of his drink. "And in return for your help, I will tell you whatever you wish to know about the incident 9 months ago." Loki knew that if he offered that, Stark would be unable to refuse. He knew personally that there were still questions about the episode with the Chitauri, loose ends that were left hanging and were fraying away unless someone cleared them up soon. Loki had the key to tie up the loose ends, and perhaps he would be able to prevent another invasion on earth. He looked right at Tony as the billionaire set his glass down on the table and leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So you're saying that if I help you with your request, you'll tell me _anything _I want to know about the incident?" he asked skeptically. "Would you be willing to have it recorded so that I can deliver it to Director Fury?"

Loki flared his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "Mr. Stark, by giving out this information, I am saying that I have changed loyalties. I want to _help _the Avengers now, I fear that a much greater threat than I will arrive sooner rather than later. This information could be the key to his defeat, therefore; record away," he said with a slight nod of his head. Tony raised his head to speak with his computer, but Loki was quick to add onto his statement. "But before you begin the recording and ask me questions, I want to make my bargain known."

"Very well, what do you want?" Tony asked.

"It was made known to me, before I was exiled and stripped of my powers, that in order to complete my punishment, I had to reconcile with all the people who I hurt, that I have to help fix what I did to the best of my ability. How long that would take, I am afraid that I wasn't told. My time in New York is far from over, however, there is one person who I need to make up with very personally. She is not in New York though, and she had to run…because of something I did, something that I regret wholeheartedly, and it haunts me daily." He began to shake.

"_She_?" Tony asked, leaning forward on the couch. "Who is this _she_? What did you do?" he asked. Loki breathed in and let out a shaky breath, clutching the couch cushions with an iron grip.

"I impregnated Natasha Romanoff…" he said very quietly lowering his head and setting his glass aside. He was overcome with shame, anger with himself. He hadn't told _anyone _what he did that day on the helicarrier. He was a criminal…and by giving this information to Tony Stark, he had just imploded any chance that he had of getting the request that he had not yet presented.

But in this case it was best to tell the truth. He really was haunted by his actions daily. He still had dreams and sometimes nightmares about it. If he hadn't done what he did, he wouldn't be here, telling a man who is very close with the very woman he harmed, what he did to her.

Loki shook and gripped the cushions harder, nearly tearing the leather from the outside entirely. He prepared himself for the anger, the choking…but it never came. He relented his grip on the couch cushions and stared up at Tony who simply sat there. He could swear that concern was etched into his features. That was unexpected. As soon as Loki was looking at Tony again, he moved a bit.

"I was going to strangle you," he said. "But I thought better. You are really torn up about this…aren't you?" So it _was _concern. Loki lowered his head again, and nodded.

"I would have deserved to be strangled for what I did…" he said. "Out of everything I did, all of the lives I ruined. I regret this one the most. I completely uprooted her life, Mr. Stark. She isn't prepared to raise a child, she is…she is…" he couldn't finish. It was too painful to remember. He stared at his shoes, refusing to make any form of eye contact with his host. He heard Tony stand up, and begin pacing around the room. He heard the distinct clack of shoes on the tile as he went back to the bar.

"I received a call earlier this morning," Tony said, opening a bottle and pouring it into his glass. "It was from Agent Hill at S.H.I.E.L.D." Loki raised his head at this. "Apparently, the tracker that they put in Natasha's arm when she was first recruited at S.H.I.E.L.D. died, and she went off the map. They don't know how long she has been missing and out of contact, so they called me to ask if I knew anything of her whereabouts or if she decided to make contact with me. I was able to honestly tell them that I knew nothing about where she went or why. You know where she is, don't you?"

Loki was quick to nod his head, recalling somewhat fondly his arrival in New York and seeing Natasha board an aircraft headed to Cape Town, South Africa. He recalled meeting (and spilling his coffee on) a doppelganger of himself and asking him to watch over Natasha until his arrival.

"And I'm guessing that your request is for me to provide you travel arrangements to that place, because it has been 9 months since you…" Tony was careful choosing his words, trying not to trigger Loki's guilt or his own anger. He moved back over to the couch he had been sitting on and held his glass tightly.

"You figured it out, Mr. Stark," Loki said, averting his gaze because he felt very guilty. "I wish to be there…just for a short time, so that I can be there for her when the child arrives. I would at least like to see my child once. When I can afford it on my own, and I feel that my work in New York is done, I will go to New Mexico. I feel that there is a lot of work that I need to do there as well. After that…I will go to Natasha and I will stay near her. I don't have many children, Mr. Stark. The ones I do have…are not exactly children. This one is different."

Tony nodded at Loki's plan. He could tell that the former god was being honest.

"JARVIS? Get Loki a round trip ticket to wherever he needs to go!" he called out. He turned to the fallen god with a soft grin. "I'm not going to ask where Natasha is. She went where she went for a reason, and since she will have her hands full with a baby…I won't enable S.H.I.E.L.D. to find her." A small piece of paper came out of a printer on the other side of the room. "That ticket allows round- trip business class transport to anywhere in the world, at the most convenient time for you. Just present it to the steward at the check in counter," he explained, standing to retrieve the paper. "But it is one time use only, so wherever you go, you have to come back here eventually." Tony handed the paper to Loki, who looked it over.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Loki said gratefully, stowing away the ticket. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Oh, I think I have some idea," he responded, picking up his glass again. "And you can answer my questions when you get back. I'll keep some time open." Loki looked at him with surprise.

"But…I said that I'd tell you now."

"I know. But I trust that you'll keep your word. Seeing how regretful you were just now…it allowed some faith that I was trying not to allow you."

* * *

**-5 Months Later: Cape Town Hospital, Cape Town South Africa- **

Her water broke at 3:34 in the morning as she tried to get some sleep. She could tell that it was her water, because a clear substance ran through her nightclothes and leaked onto the bed sheets. Natasha was quick to pick up the corded phone that came with the flat and dial Samantha next door, telling her frantically that the baby was coming. If she was asked about it later, she would have explained that it was the only time she felt like she genuinely needed someone to be there for her. She never would have been able to make it to the hospital on her own, without calling 911, but with Samantha there, they would make it to the hospital before the child arrived.

Her neighbor was good about getting to Natasha's door with all haste, knocking frantically and praying that she could still walk. Her son was hanging off of her hip, still half-asleep, but he couldn't be left alone, so she would have to bring him along. Natasha opened the door and stepped out. There were tears in her eyes, and Samantha knew that it was because her neighbor was afraid. She had never been through this before, and Samantha was the only person who Natasha had to rely on in this situation. She put her free hand around Natasha's back, and led her to the elevator. She hit the button that would take her to the underground parking garage and that ride seemed like the longest Samantha had ever experienced.

They made it to the hospital ten minutes later, Samantha's car tires squealing into the parking lot and into the closest space to the entrance. Natasha was having contractions every three minutes or so now, which meant that she was getting close to having the baby. Even she knew that. Samantha helped Natasha out of the car and told her to hold onto the side door while she got Rodney out of his car seat. With the baby on her hip, she helped her friend into the hospital.

Everything became pandemonium after that. Natasha was put onto a stretcher so that they could easily get her to a room and get everything hooked up. Samantha stayed behind and signed her friend into the hospital, following quickly behind so that she could be there when the baby was born. Her friend needed her, because the father wasn't there, and no one should have to be alone when giving birth. Samantha knew that from experience.

Four hours later, with many tears and expressions of panic and a lot of pushing, a healthy baby boy was welcomed into the world. Natasha was relieved as soon as it was all over, watching as the frantic atmosphere died down to a relaxed one. They cleaned off the baby, weighed him, and wrapped him in a blanket, handing him to Natasha to see for the first time. The baby wailed and hollered in her arms, still getting used to the air and being outside of his mother's womb. Natasha cooed a Russian lullaby softly, so only those standing near her could hear. The baby calmed down, closing his wrinkled eyes and falling asleep. Samantha had gone to get coffee for herself and an apple juice for her son shortly after the baby was born, promising to "Nadia" that they'd return soon. The doctor said that he had to go get some paperwork for the new mother to fill out so that they could take the baby and put him in a bassinet to make sure he was healthy and to let Natasha rest. He urged her to figure out a name for him during that time, and then Natasha was left alone in the room.

Her son had very, _very _curly black hair. So he had gotten his father's hair. She remembered being a curly haired little girl growing up, so the curls were from her. She had yet to determine the color of his eyes though. Were they blue like hers? Or green like Loki's? She sincerely hoped that they were blue like hers. The less this child reminded her of the father, the better. She hadn't really thought of any names that she liked during her pregnancy, because she didn't really care if it was a boy or a girl. But she had a son now and he needed a name.

* * *

**-Meanwhile: In another part of the hospital…-**

Loki entered the maternity wing of the third hospital that he had been in since arriving in Cape Town. He had been disappointed to find that none of the others housed Natasha, and he was beginning to get discouraged. He came here without thinking about how he was to find her. Cape Town was a large city as it was, and he didn't even know if she had left the area! She could be anywhere. He sank down onto a bench outside of one of the rooms and held his head in his hands. This was bloody fantastic. He was on another continent, in some city that he was unfamiliar with, and no way to find the person he came here to find. He felt like giving up, letting S.H.I.E.L.D. drag her back to New York before confronting her again. He was troubled and embarrassed that he hadn't thought this through more.

"Sir? Are you okay?" a woman's voice spoke. Loki raised his head and stared at the stranger speaking to him. She was tall, but not taller than him, had long black hair tied in a braid down her back, and tanned skin. She held a child's hand, and he held a box that had a straw sticking out of it. Loki shook his head.

"I'm looking for someone, but I didn't think through where she'd be when I arrived," he explained. That's when he remembered the small picture of Natasha that Tony had given him before leaving, just in case he needed to describe Natasha to people. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the picture, handing it to the woman. She took it curiously and looked at Natasha's face.

"Oh, I know her! This is Nadia, my neighbor. I actually brought her here this morning when she went into labor," she said. Loki was confused. He was looking for Natasha, not a woman named Nadia. But it would make sense that she changed her name. "But who are you in relation to her?" the woman asked, handing the picture back to Loki. He figured that honesty was the best option in this case.

"I'm the father of her child," he said earnestly.

**Oooohhhh…CLIFFHANGER! So, the baby is born, and Loki and Natasha are close to reuniting. I will put a poll up on my page, because I can't decide on a name for the baby. You guys will be willing to help me out yeah? Leave a review with your favorite choice…**

**A) Gunnar**

**B) Alexander**

**C) Phil (in honor of Coulson)**

**D) Another Name that you like?**

**Hope to have the next chapter out soon! Please vote on a name!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guys, so you most definitely deserved this chapter because of the amazing response that I got on Chapter 7. I am now up to 104 reviews and that makes me happier than I've ever been before in my life! I have never gotten such an amazing response to a story before this one, so thank you thank you thank you! This chapter, Loki (the REAL one) and Natasha finally see each other again, and you guys get to find out how she reacts and what the baby's name is! Enjoy Chapter 8!**

* * *

**-Present Day: Cape Town Hospital, Cape Town South Africa-**

"_But who are you in relation to her?" the woman asked, handing the picture back to Loki. He figured that honesty was the best option in this case. _

"_I'm the father of her child," he said earnestly._

She gasped loudly, putting her hand over her mouth to cover up the fact that she was in complete shock. The surprise that she displayed was entirely anticipated; after all, he knew that Natasha hated him after everything that happened 9 months prior to this moment, and she probably hated him even more for what he did to her. This woman probably knew of him all too well. Loki sighed out and looked down at the woman, seeing as he was almost an entire head taller than she. He looked around the hallway, hoping that no one had noticed her noise of shock, therefore drawing attention to them. He put his hands in his pockets and ran his thumb and forefinger over the slick paper that displayed Natasha's image. For some strange reason, it soothed him enough to speak calmly.

"She probably has no interest in seeing me ever again, does she?" Loki asked, not keeping his gaze on the woman but rather letting it dart around to determine whether or not he should lower his voice or not. This was a bit of a private matter after all. He fixated his gaze back on Natasha's neighbor who had lowered her hand to her side. The little boy continued drinking out of his juice box, completely unfazed by Loki. He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. The woman was looking him up and down, trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. He could tell, because growing up he had seen this look (or one of similar nature) from his parents, his brother, and his "friends". Just because he was the (former) god of mischief and lies did not mean that he was incapable of speaking the truth. He just…found joy in twisting it around a bit. But this time he was trying to be honest, he was trying to be serious. He wanted to see his child at least once before getting punched by Natasha or thrown out by security. Some part of him was assuming that this would happen. He removed himself from his inner thoughts and stared at the woman again. "Would you mind so terribly allowing me to see her?" he asked softly. Natasha's neighbor sighed heavily.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind terribly…" she muttered. "I don't know why she hates you so much; you seem like an okay guy…" Loki was in shock now, had Natasha not told her neighbor about all of the things he did to her? All of the things he did to her friends? Or at least a vague version of it? He was confused. "She already handed off the baby to the doctor so they can let her rest for a bit, so if you're hoping to see the kid, we can detour past the newborn see through window," she added. "I'm sure that you want to see him right?"

So Natasha's child had been a boy. He had a half human son of his own. Loki didn't really know how to feel about having a child who actually looked like a child, rather than a wolf pup, an 8 legged horse, or a snake. But he wasn't going to bring them up, because he would probably scare off the woman who was being so kind to him. There was no need to jeopardize his only chance to see Natasha until his work in New York and New Mexico was complete.

"Do you know his name?" Loki asked tilting his head slightly as they passed some closed doors and some open ones. The woman turned her head and she shrugged her shoulders a small amount. She turned her head back forward and they took a right down another hallway that was practically identical to the one that they had _just _been down.

"I don't know," she said. "Nadia was filling out the paperwork when I left to get some coffee." Natasha's neighbor stopped suddenly in front of a large glass window that looked into a room full of babies. Loki's eyes widened, seeing all of the children in their plastic beds. Some were sleeping peacefully, others were awake and staring at the ceiling, another few were wailing, but the glass made it impossible to hear. The nurses were attending to the crying ones and the awakened ones. Loki stared into the room full of children, hoping that Natasha's was somewhere in the mix. The woman pointed into the glass, trying to pick out the one two over from the left, with curly black hair and nearly porcelain skin. "That's him," she said. "That's Nadia's baby." Loki looked at the sleeping child in the room. It almost brought tears to his eyes. That was _his son_. He looked to the woman who had raised her own child up to see into the room.

"Are we allowed to go in?" he asked. "I cannot read what the label on the front of the bed says." In all honesty, Loki _could _read the label just fine, but he really wanted a closer look at the child. Perhaps even a chance to hold him. Natasha's neighbor looked at him and put her son back on the floor with a grin.

"I'm pretty sure. Come on, I'd like to see him too," she replied with a smile, turning to the door at the edge of the window. They ventured over to the door, looking at the sign on it that read _Please Knock for Entry._ The woman promptly rapped her fist on the door and waited for someone to open it. A few moments later the entry way opened to reveal a stout woman in a white dress. She held a clipboard in one hand while the other rested on the metal door handle.

"May I help you?" she asked her voice sweeter and kinder than her appearance made her out to be. She looked to the woman and then to Loki, expecting an answer.

"Uh yes, my name is Samantha and I am a friend of Nadia Amelin? She just had her child a few hours ago, and the father has arrived," she gestured to Loki, "He wants to meet his son." The woman looked at Loki and then at Samantha. A moment later she stepped to the side to allow them into the room. She closed the door behind her and held out a pair of plastic gloves for both adult visitors, as well as the child who still stood with his hand clutched tightly in Samantha's.

"It's just a health precaution. We don't want to risk any of the newborns getting sick," she explained. Loki put his on promptly, the tight material sticking to his hand and making him feel uncomfortable. The nurse looked at her clipboard and muttered Natasha's new surname under her breath as Samantha put on her gloves and then helped her son with his.

"Amelin…Amelin…Ah yes, here he is. Alexander Cole Amelin," she said with a smile. "He's right over here if you'll just follow me." Loki smiled at the name that Natasha had chosen. It was a lovely name for his son. He and Samantha followed behind the nurse to the crib with the sleeping child that he had seen from the window outside.

He was so small, so precious, and so fragile. Loki stared at his sleeping son for a moment, mesmerized by the way his tiny chest moved up and down and his petite hands were curled up into fists as he slept. He reached out and cupped his hand so that he could compare the size of his hand to the size of his son's much smaller one. He moved his hand under Alexander's little fist and marveled at the size difference. The baby's hand was just a little bit smaller than a golf ball, and all in all, he was just about the most endearing thing that Loki had ever seen. He watched Samantha take out a mobile phone and open the top, turning on the camera so that she could take a picture of the baby. Loki wished that he could afford a phone with a camera built into it so that he could also take a picture of his child. He turned to the nurse and bit his lower lip nervously, almost afraid to make his request. In the end he mustered up the courage and cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Do you think that I could possible get a picture of Alexander? I do not own a mobile phone that I can take a picture with, and I would really like to have an image of him…to show people back at home," he lied expertly. The truth was that he would put the picture on a stand or in a frame and display it proudly in his room. The nurse looked at him skeptically for a moment, as if he was different for not owning a mobile phone. Her face softened when she saw that he was being serious. A moment later she replied sweetly,

"I can take a picture for you, certainly," walking over to a desk where a large black device sat. She picked it up and brought it back over to the cradle, showing it to Loki. "This is a polaroid. We use it to take pictures of newborns so that the parents have them for scrapbooks," she explained, standing at the front of the cradle and hitting a button that set off a bright flash of light. Immediately after, a small, square, piece of paper came out of the front of the camera, with no image on it. She took it out and began waving it in the air for some reason. Loki couldn't figure out why.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked, genuinely curious. The nurse smiled at him and held up the piece of paper, where an image of Alexander began to appear on it. Loki was amazed at this, and he reached out to take the paper from her, staring at an identical image of his sleeping son. He would take good care of this picture for sure. It was the only image that he would have of his son as the boy grew, but it was enough for him.

"Well, as you can tell. The air helps speed along the automatic exposure so that the picture shows up faster. Would you like me to write his name and birthday on the bottom?" she offered, holding up the pen that was attached to her clipboard by a cable. Loki nodded and handed the picture back to the nurse and she quickly put it on her clipboard and scribbled on the small white part at the bottom of the page. She handed it back to him a moment later, and he looked at the semi-legible handwriting. _Alexander Cole- January 19__th__, 2013._ An easy half-smile made its home on his face as he pocketed the picture. He wouldn't be losing that any time soon. Now there was only one thing left to ask. He raised his head to meet the nurse's.

"May I hold him?"

* * *

**-Present Day: Natasha/Nadia's Hospital Room-**

Natasha didn't fall asleep right away after the doctor left her to rest. She stared at the ceiling for a while, her right breast was sore from breast feeding for the first time and she didn't know what to do to make the uncomfortable feeling in her swollen breasts stop, but she could only assume that it was something that she'd have to get used to over time. Perhaps she could even use it to her advantage one day, but for now she needed to get some rest. Her chest moved up and down rhythmically, and she wondered if Samantha would be back soon.

Thoughts rushed through her head at a million miles a minute. She wondered if S.H.I.E.L.D had discovered her ruse yet and if they were looking for her. She wondered what kind of gruesome punishment that Loki was undergoing for his actions. She wondered if everything was going well with the rebuilding of New York. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to sleep if even for a moment. But apparently she wasn't meant to get any sleep, because the door opened and she saw Samantha walk in with Rodney on her side. She saw someone else behind Samantha, but she was too tired to question who it was. Samantha made her way to Natasha's side, and she decided to focus her attention on her neighbor, rather than the stranger who stood in the doorway. She looked up at Samantha's concerned smile and she did her best to smile back.

"How are you feeling Nadia?" she asked, adjusting her grip on Rodney. "Any better?" Natasha shrugged her shoulders and averted her gaze to the handle that adjusted the height of the bed so that she could sit up. Samantha caught her gaze and set Rodney down on the floor so that she could adjust the bed to Natasha's comfort. She pulled the lever and Natasha was able to sit up to a point where she was comfortable. She looked to her "friend" and gave a half smile.

"I haven't gotten much sleep, but I do feel relieved that this is all over. Now I just…" she stopped, feeling something akin to tears come to her eyes. Samantha put a hand on Natasha's shoulder. She could feel that her neighbor understood what she was unable to say. _Now I just have to get used to being a mother. _She thought to herself. Natasha looked down at Rodney, and then at Samantha.

"It gets easier Nadia," she said reassuringly. "It really, really does, especially when you have someone there to help you." Natasha nodded, having heard all of this before. Samantha had been there for her since she arrived in Cape Town, and Natasha was going to regret leaving someday when Alexander was older. She couldn't stay forever…S.H.I.E.L.D. would find her eventually, and everything would become a huge mess. Natasha could _not _put Samantha through that, she couldn't add even _more_ red to her ledger. She couldn't do that when she had finally found a way to clear it for good.

"Thank you," Natasha murmured sleepily. She closed her eyes for a moment, only to open them again, her vision clearing a slight bit. "H-how is Alexander?" she asked. Samantha smiled widely.

"He is doing very well. The doctor says that they are going to keep him overnight, and you two can go home tomorrow afternoon," Samantha reported happily. Natasha's gaze fixated on the figure at the door. He looked very familiar, and she wanted to say that she knew, but the last time she assumed, she had scarred a man for life.

"Who is the guy at the door?" Natasha asked a little louder, trying to see if she was right, if there was some telltale sign that she should get up and check. Samantha turned her head to look at the visitor.

"Oh him? He's some guy I met in the hallway. It was weird, I didn't get a name but he had a picture of you and he's claiming to be the father of Alexander. I was going to shoo him away but he looks just like your son…" she said nervously. "Is he…?" Natasha stared at the figure and his green eyes stared right back at her.

"Yeah. That's him. Would you mind letting me have a chat with him? _Alone_?" Samantha looked at Natasha and then at the man in the doorway.

"Sure thing, Nadia," she replied with a nod, taking Rodney's hand and leading him out of the room.

* * *

Loki waited patiently in the doorway as Samantha entered and began speaking to Natasha. She looked fatigued, yet calm. He knew that wasn't going to last long once she saw him fully and was balling her fist to crack him in the jaw for what he did. He also knew that just because she had a baby a few hours before didn't mean that she couldn't pack a punch, so he prepared himself to face the full extent of Natasha Romanoff's wrath.

She asked Samantha who he was, and he just then remembered that he had never introduced himself to her properly. She didn't know his name. Loki supposed that was a good thing somewhat, because Natasha had obviously kept that information classified as well. He watched as Samantha took her son's hand and walked right towards him. He moved out of the way so that they could leave, and then it was just him and Natasha, staring each other down. The first words out of her mouth were entirely unexpected.

"You cut your hair." Loki almost did a double take. Here he was, the mortal enemy of the mother of his child, and all she could comment on was his hair? Was she delusional? He wasn't about to find out. "Why are you here?" she asked as he contemplated an answer to her comment.

There it was.

"I wanted to see the baby," Loki answered entirely honestly. He sighed out and looked at Natasha's brunette hair. She was very different from when he had last seen her, standing with that smug look on her face and whispering into Barton's ear about something that he never figured out. He stepped into the room fully and moved to her bedside. "Yes. I knew about him before he was born." Natasha was looking up at him now. Within a single moment, her fist had connected with his jaw and the next thing he knew, he was stumbling around the room shouting Asgardian profanities. Loki held his jaw, and winced as he felt the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.

"You deserve to _die_ a horrid deathfor what you did," she exclaimed unsympathetically. Loki closed his eyes and held back a comment that was sure to get him beaten further. Instead, he focused on his aching jaw, making sure that she hadn't broken it entirely. He made his answer short and sweet,

"I know I do." He felt some amusement bubbling (and was that blood on his lip?) in his chest when he saw Natasha prepare to say something to another statement, but she stopped herself, her mouth gaping slightly.

"What did you say?" she asked, obviously trying to make sure that she heard him correctly. Loki shrugged his shoulders and took a tissue from the box on the table next to Natasha, wiping away the blood on his split lip and from his teeth, which he was near certain were dented now. Damn, she packed a punch.

"I _said_," he repeated; taking another tissue to get rid of the rest of the blood. "That I deserve it. However the Council of Asgard thought differently. They spared my life, made me a mortal, and sent me here to clean up the mess I made 9 months ago." Natasha was staring at him now; her assaulting fist was resting at her side. Her facial expression resembled that of a tenacious child who was trying to comprehend something. That wasn't the Natasha he knew, she had changed…

"I don't believe you. You're the god of trickery and lies, you could have escaped for all I know!" she said stubbornly. Loki continued to rub his jaw, wincing occasionally at rushes of pain.

"_Former_ god of trickery and lies, I'm not anymore. I'm simply Loki Laufeyson now, as mortal as any man."

"Why should I believe you? There is _nothing _that you've done that will make me believe you," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because for once I'm being honest," he reacted.

"I _hate _you, what thought _ever _convinced you that you could come here without getting injured? Did you honestly think that I would have a change of heart?" she said furiously. There was the Natasha he remembered, the one that had gotten under his skin during the interrogation. She was fiery and manipulative, even though she was still recovering from Alexander's birth. Loki closed his eyes for a moment to calm down. He was not going to yell at her, because he was here to reconcile, even if she didn't believe him.

"I considered it, yes," Loki said with a sigh. "And I figured that it was worth coming here regardless." He stepped closer to the bed again.

"Just _leave _Loki. I'm giving you a chance to leave and never come back right now. This conversation will have never happened," Natasha said willfully, "And you can hand over the picture of _my _baby. I won't let you get away with having it." Loki blanched. How did she know that he had a picture of Alexander? She still had the skills to tell the secrets of her opponents. He slowly withdrew the image from the pocket of his leather jacket staring at the sleeping baby. He was hesitant to hand it over to her, because he wasn't going to just hand her something so priceless. He was just as stubborn as she was, and possibly just as cunning as well.

"I will leave Natasha, but I'm keeping the picture," Loki said defiantly, putting the Polaroid back in his pocket. He felt a sting of pain and realized that Natasha had punched him in the nose this time instead of under the jaw. He put his hand to his nose and felt a sticky wet substance. He looked at his hand and saw the red stain. He was bleeding again.

"Now give me the picture and_ leave,_" Natasha said even more heatedly. Loki used another tissue from the box on the table to wipe away the blood away. He was almost sure that it was broken. She threw the blankets that she was under aside and stood painfully but still strong. Loki wasn't surprised that she was so able, seeing as she _was _the Black Widow. He decided to play a game of wits.

"Why?" he asked. "Why do you want it so badly?" Natasha's expression softened. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Because Alexander is _my _child, you don't deserve to have any proof of his existence!" she cried. Loki tilted his head a bit.

"I don't _deserve_ proof of my son's existence?" Loki repeated, confused. Natasha balled her fists.

"No."

"Are you sure there isn't some other reason that you don't want me to have it?" he asked. "Perhaps it has something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D?" Natasha turned white, and he saw her jaw tense up. So that was the reason. She was _afraid_!

"Doesn't everything?" she asked. Loki relaxed a bit, realizing that fighting with Natasha was not the way to go. He was here to _apologize_ to her! When did things spiral out of control like this? He reached into his pocket and withdrew the image again, sighing out before holding it out for her to take from him at any moment. She looked at him cynically, as if he was trying to trick her.

"Take it then," he said when she didn't take the paper from him. "You can have it if you'll at least listen to me. Believe even the slightest amount that I am truly remorseful for what I did to you…to the world. If you can do that, I'll leave without the picture." Natasha shook her head.

"Keep it then because I _don't believe you_. This is just some sick way for you to get under my skin again, knowing that I'm so fragile, so alone!" she cried. "How could you be so twisted?" Loki stared at her, even though he was offering the thing she asked him for. He turned to leave with her watching his every move. As he was about to exit the room he turned his head back to face her. He shoved the picture back in his pocket and sighed.

"I'm only keeping it because I don't want to give up something so important to me. I have no methods left to get under your skin, Natasha. I don't want anything to do with the past anymore. If anything, I'd say that you've let the old me get under your skin. But just remember, without me...you wouldn't have gotten that clean slate you so desired. Without me, you wouldn't have the child that gave you such a chance. Take care…" and then he left with a smirk on his face and the picture of his son heavy in his pocket. He sincerely hoped that Natasha was thinking about his words.

* * *

**A/N: There we are, Chapter 8. I hope you enjoyed it! Please remember to review! I love hearing what you guys think! (Oh, and thanks to all of you who voted on a name for the baby. I hope you like it!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I'm back (finally!) I'm so sorry that it took me two months to write this chapter, I don't even know where the time got to, and I hope you're all still with me. If you are, GREAT, I'm so glad you are willing to stick with me. I hope that I'll have Chapter 10 started later today.**

**A special thanks to my beta, ****_E. Edwin, _****for helping me with finishing this chapter, and then editing it and giving me suggestions. You're the best!**

**Also! If you want the full emotional effect of this chapter, while you're reading it listen to **_Bloodstream- by Stateless. _**It gave me more than enough inspiration to get my rear in gear to finish this for you all. **

* * *

**-Present Day: Cape Town Hospital, Cape Town South Africa-**

Natasha thought intensely about Loki's words after he departed. She had been an idiot, letting him keep that picture. It could fall into the wrong hands and this cover would be blown forever. She couldn't risk that. The reveal of her true identity would put her in grave danger. She wasn't so much worried about herself though. The largest part of her concern lied with Alexander. Should she be compromised, he too would be at risk, and he wasn't even ten hours old yet_._

Samantha came back in for a few moments, but she didn't ask about Loki's visit, or why he left with a broken nose. She just came in to let Natasha know that she was taking Rodney home, and that she would be sure to visit when Natasha brought home Alexander. After that, her obstetrician came in to see how she was doing. As he checked all of her vitals, Natasha examined him. His polite disposition and caring blue eyes made up for the fact that his thin blonde toupee was lopsided on his head. She had only been to see him two or three times since her arrival in Cape Town 5 months prior, so she wasn't sure how much she liked him yet. He asked her how she was feeling, if anything was still sore, and if she had fed the baby recently. After answering all of his questions he told her with a smile that she would be allowed to go home the next afternoon. He also insisted that she get some rest, and then he left to tend to other patients.

Natasha closed her eyes and tried to sleep, at this point she was desperate for repose, but her body wouldn't allow her comfort. She sniffed the air and caught a whiff of Loki's lasting odor in the room. It was probably his cologne, but she could remember that he smelled similar when he had passed her, when he was caked in dirt and sweat and blood. He smelled of Spearmint with a mix of jasmine. Even though she hated the person who left the lingering scent, there was something about it that she liked. Loki had been gone for twenty minutes now, and the smell hadn't gone away yet. It was keeping her from falling asleep.

No matter how many times she tried closing her eyes and dozing off to the sound of her heart monitor, Natasha knew that she wasn't going to get any sleep. She rolled over on her side and looked at the digital clock. She had been trying for just shy of an hour. Her gaze fell to the small stack of magazines next to the clock that she recalled Samantha leaving for her earlier. There was nothing really interesting though, mostly dated tabloids that she assumed came from the market (there was a "Paid" sticker on them). She looked up at the clock, seeing that it was about noon now. Had more time passed than she previously thought? Natasha didn't know.

Another couple hours passed, and a nurse entered the room with Alexander. Natasha looked up from the magazine she had (hesitantly) picked up out of boredom.

"He's just kind of hungry, nothing to worry about," the nurse told her, handing the squirming and wailing child to his mother. Natasha took him, leaving the tabloid on her lap as she pulled down the shoulder of her hospital gown so that she could feed the baby. She had already done this once before when he was just born, and even though it was a little sore, she managed. Alexander took a moment to latch on but as soon as he did, he was suckling greedily. Natasha looked down at the baby whose eyes were still closed. He really was endearing in spite of his father. She moved her non-supporting hand to his soft, sparse tresses and caressed them gently. She couldn't help but wonder if the softness came from Loki. Even though she had been a curly haired child, it had always been greasy and untamable. The child in her arms finished his meal with a satisfied noise and then he began to whimper again. Natasha had seen this before and she lifted him gently over her shoulder and rubbed the baby's back gently. She looked up at the nurse as she did, giving a tired smiled to her. The blonde woman smiled back at her as she heard a little hiccup from the newborn on her shoulder. Natasha let out a sigh and looked down at the satisfied child in her arms.

"He's very cute," the nurse complimented while widening her grin. The former spy nodded without saying anything. She kissed the baby's forehead and he yawned, his toothless mouth opening as wide as it could.

"Thank you…" Natasha said almost inaudibly. She almost hated to admit how much she loved her son. She knew that emotions like that would eventually get her into some kind of danger. But it was true…she loved her son more than anything. The nurse stepped closer to the bed.

"Would you like me to take him Ms. Amelin?" she asked gently. Natasha looked up at the sound of her fake name. She sighed out, looking at the now sleeping child. She reached out her arms and handed the baby off to the nurse.

"I think I'm going to try getting some sleep," she lied watching the nurse adjust her grip on Alexander. The woman didn't detect her lie however and nodded, leaving the room to return the baby to the nursery. As Natasha was left with nothing but the dimming overhead light, she was once again faced with Loki's voice intruding in her mind.

_Without me...you wouldn't have gotten that clean slate you so desired._

And deep down…she knew that he was right.

* * *

**-Two Weeks Later: A Starbucks down the street from Stark Tower-**

Loki sighed and stared down at the plastic lid that covered that remainder of his "tall" coffee. He swirled the drink around in his cup and held his head in his free hand. The picture of his newborn son sat in front of him on the small table. He hadn't been able to stop staring at it for almost an hour now and he didn't know why it was so mesmerizing. He rested his chin on top of the hand that wasn't holding his coffee and flipped the picture over, ignoring the growing emptiness that he felt from not being able to look at the image. Tony Stark entered the building, with his hands in his pockets looking around for him most likely. Loki took the cardstock image off of the tabletop and placed it gently in the pocket of his sweatshirt, careful not to bend it. The billionaire noticed him a couple moments later, striding over to Loki's table by the window. He averted his gaze away from the former demi-god and to the crowd that were all drinking coffee and working on their laptops, reading the paper, or just people watching.

"You could have just come to the tower you know. It's a little crowded here to have a private conversation," he said, not looking at Loki at all. Loki rolled his eyes, realizing that Tony was probably right. He could have easily done the same thing as he had last time.

"I'm more comfortable here, if you don't mind Mr. Stark," Loki responded, staring out the window and across the street at a mother, father, and a baby in a stroller made their way into the gates to Central Park. He thought of the picture in his pocket and realized that he would never have that. He turned back to Tony, who was staring at him with an eyebrow raised. Loki quickly grew uncomfortable. His stomach ached and his head pounded. An image appeared behind his eyelids, and he felt a tingling sensation on his hand. He shut his eyes tightly, and he felt the sweat build on his palm. _Loki…why can't we be this happy all the time? _a female voice whispered in his ear. He opened his eyes again to see Tony still watching at him. Loki wiped his sweaty palms on his khaki pants.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked the billionaire harshly. He didn't see Tony take a seat in the empty chair across from him, but he heard the creak of the plastic cover and the metal under his weight. Loki instead paid his attention to the line of men and women waiting in line to get their coffee or other drinks. The voice intruded again and the heat from his hand was not his own. _I don't even care what others think. This past month and a half…I never thought I'd be capable of loving someone. _Then it disappeared again.

Tony's gaze was locked on Loki and the way his eyes flicked between the people currently occupying the building. It was a phenomenon to say in the least. Tony was confused as to how in about ten months someone like Loki could become so mellow…so dissimilar to what he remembered.

"It's nothing." Tony said slowly. Loki nodded but still didn't look at him. "You owe me a story you know. Actually two stories. I've waited two weeks for this, and I have the tape recor…" He stopped when Loki looked up at him with a different emotion in his eyes. It was a mix between pain and guilt and anger.

"Can…I cash a rain check on that?" he asked calmly, trying to suppress his growing irritation with Tony. The pounding in his head was intensifying quickly. "I assure you Mr. Stark that I am in no condition to continue this conversation." He put one hand against his temple and winced as the voice occupied his mind once again. _W-what are you doing here? I hate you! You did this to me! I will never forgive you._

Tony tapped the table with his fingers, contemplating Loki's request. The lie-smith really did look like he was in pain. He had already given Loki quite a bit: paying for his two-week trip, giving him the time he needed. How fair would it be if he granted this request as well? Tony squinted.

"You really aren't feeling well…are you?" Tony asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. Loki looked up at him.

"No…I am not feeling well," Loki responded closing his eyes and wiping off his hands on his pants again. They were getting really clammy and he didn't know why. His eyes drooped slightly and he shook the sleep away. He looked up as Tony stood. "And frankly, I don't plan on blowing you off either if that's what you're wondering. I told you what I would do…and I will do it."

"Fine then. Next week on Sunday be at Stark Tower at 4:00. I'll have Pepper put it on my calendar." He left the Starbucks without another word.

* * *

**-Later that day, Loki's room at the Holiday Inn-**

Stripping down to his boxers and laying on top of the covers of his bed didn't help at all with the sudden heat that was overtaking Loki's body. He had never felt this much pain before, even in the hottest of places. Loki loved the cold; his body craved it. After learning his true heritage, he had started assuming that his love of the cold had something to do with his frost giant blood. Even as a mortal this was entirely true for him. He stood with a grunt and moved to the temperature controller in his room. He opened the top and was surprised to find that his air conditioner was set at the highest possible setting. The room temperature was sitting at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. _Why was he so warm? _Loki stalked back over to his bed, laying on his back and staring up at the smooth white ceiling. In an attempt to take his mind off of the heat and pain currently overtaking his body, he focused on the ceiling, and how different it was from the one that he stayed in with Roger and Betty back in South Carolina. He blinked, and suddenly he saw a face above him. When he blinked a second and a third time, it vanished. Loki sat up, deciding that maybe a little Midgardian television could help take his mind off of it. He picked up the remote control and pushed the power button, searching through the channels for something bearable.

As Loki flipped absentmindedly through the channels the heat continued to build in his body. He broke out in a sweat, constantly having to wipe it away with a towel. The remote even slipped out of his hand a couple times because of the amount of sweat that had built up on his hands. His sudden condition was downright baffling. The room was as cold as it could be, the windows were open, and he had stripped away the rest of his clothing, yet the sweating only intensified. As the channels on the TV stopped changing on a scene of a traumatizing car crash, the former god of lies fell asleep on his stomach, the remote clunking on the floor unceremoniously.

_The engine of the vehicle that he was currently strapped into roared to life, and he saw a mop of curly red hair right in front of him. He tried to move his hands, but they were tied. He looked at his feet, but they were also shackled to the bench. He reached out his hands and put them on the women's shoulder. She turned around and smiled at him, her eyes glowing. It was Natasha. He could see the driver's face in the mirror. Upon further examination, he found that he didn't recognize the man. Natasha rested her hand over his, staring at his lap. Loki was slightly confused. He wondered why she was so happy around him. Loki looked down at her hand on top of his shackled one. She leaned over and whispered into his ear, and Loki found himself blushing feverishly, and he looked away from her embarrassed by her statement._

"_I'm sorry they have to do this to you Loki…" Natasha muttered under her breath. "But you know what they'd say if I try to refute the others, especially Clint." Loki found himself nodding in agreement, as if all of the events occurring had already happened. And as far as he knew…it had._

_The terrain grew rougher, and the van started bouncing along the road. He heard a sigh escape Natasha's mouth, and she looked up through the front window. "Leave it to SHIELD to put your cell in the middle of the desert…" she muttered turning to Loki again. He didn't even have a chance to open his mouth before the van swerved sharply, and a horn honking startled the driver. Natasha gasped, and Loki threw his restrained arms around her as best he could as the van fell to the side and rolled once, twice, and then landed on the opposite side that it had turned over from. They moved from side to side as it turned, and he could feel his head hit the side of the van several times. It was dead silent for a matter of moments. Loki's head ached and he had trouble keeping his consciousness. Finally, he heard tires screeching, sirens blaring, people shouting, a loud explosion. He was practically blinded by the noonday desert sun before losing consciousness all over again._

* * *

**-Present Day: Cape Town Hospital, Cape Town South Africa-**

Natasha bolted straight up, the pain in her lower abdomen radiating from the recent birth, and her brain pounding in her skull. She had just received the strangest vision, it had been blurry and confusing, but she remembered a van…arms wrapping around her…and then darkness. She reached over to the table beside her bed and picked up her water glass, drinking it quickly to cure her dry throat. She set the plastic cup at her side and leaned back onto the pillows, closing her eyes and trying to rid her mind of the dream she had just experienced. She thought of Alexander, sleeping in the bassinet that the hospital was providing, his tiny hands balled into fists as he breathed, getting used to being alive and in the real world.

_Tomorrow, _she mouthed the word as her mind provided it. _Tomorrow I get my clean slate. _She clenched the sheets in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut again. _Yes…tomorrow._

* * *

**A/N: And that concludes Chapter 9! I hope you all enjoyed it, and that this was worth waiting 2 months for. Please don't forget to leave a review! ****_Please? Review, Review, Review!_**


End file.
